


Finding our Way

by BikerChick101



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, betty/archie/veronica love triangle - kinda, its a slow burn, its a vegas wedding story, sorry for the lack of Jughead, varchie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-24
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-03-09 02:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 40,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13471410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BikerChick101/pseuds/BikerChick101
Summary: Our secret moments, in a crowded room, they've got no idea about me and you ... AU Varchie in their senior year





	1. Chapter 1

Veronica groaned as the sun hit her face, it was too bright and her head was killing her, she was most definitely too hungover for this morning. She was also stark naked but she wasn't worried about that, there was only one person she would ever allow herself to fall into bed with, even when she was as drunk as she was last night. By his breathing, she knew it was him.

Gingerly holding her head, she pulled the covers over her eyes to block the sunlight and sighed heavily when that didn't help. Slowly with her eyes still shut as tight as she could, she slipped out of bed, squinting for direction, she made her way into the bathroom to attempt to loosen her muscles and brush her teeth, maybe have a hot bath to help her feel better.

She turned the hot water up all the way so it almost scalded her skin and let it sooth her pounding head. She wasn't in there long when he got in behind her and put his hands on her temples, massaging where the pain was.

"Ronnie, this water is burning hot," he said softly, for which she was grateful, and leaned over her to adjust the water to a more manageable temperature. She moaned as his hands pressed the points of pain in her head. "Do you remember last night at all?" he finally asked.

"I remember bits, Archikins," she told him stepping out of the water so he could step under the water properly. "I don't remember how we ended up in this room, and I don't think I know how to explain this to anyone."

"I think everyone was drunk enough last night, to not even care," he told her pulling her back to him and nuzzling her neck. "It's still ridiculously early in the morning, we have time before we have to find them."

"And what do you suggest we do to pass that time?" she asked wrapping her arms around his shoulders and smiling as she teased him by keeping her lips just out of reach of his when he went to kiss her.

"Tease," he chuckled and suddenly her back was pressed against the wall and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, smiling at the look on his face when she ground herself against him. "Ronnie," he groaned, closing his eyes.

"Archie," she whispered back, they had to end this thing that they had going, she knew it and so did he, but God did she want to enjoy him for as long as she could. Her face was so serious for a moment that he paused and look worriedly up at her silently asking if something was wrong and she was too selfish to say yes. "It's ok, I'm ok, you're perfect." 

* * *

Veronica and Archie stumbled back into the main room later with towels around their bodies, wondering if they'd be able to order clothes instead of wearing their old clothes, which smelled of smoke and alcohol and felt like it needed to be washed or burned.

"This is my room," Archie commented as he looked around to find his suitcase on the floor next to the cupboard. "Well at least we know where we are."

"I am so happy you managed to weasel your way into not sharing a room," Veronica said tapping quickly on her phone, as Archie stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I am not wearing your clothes and walking back to my room,"

"But you look so good in my clothes," he whispered huskily, leaning in to kiss her, tossing her phone onto the bed. "So, so good."

"I know you think so, but everyone else would be very confused," Veronica whispered, kissing down his jaw, savoring him. "I've asked Josie to bring me something to wear."

"How much longer do you think we have?" Archie asked glancing around to find a clock, they were a secret, only Josie knowing anything about their secret meetings, so Archie tried to spend every moment he could spare with her. "It's still pretty early."

"Archie, last night and this morning was amazing but there's a reason we decided to stop this, I think after I walk out this door today it really needs to be over, we can't keep getting drunk and falling into bed together, I want to keep my friendships," Veronica smiled sadly and Archie closed his eyes and nodded, he understood more than she knew. He leaned down and kissed her again, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he'll get to but knowing that she was determined and stubborn enough to make it their last morning together.

"I know, me too," he whispered, pressing the gentlest kiss to her forehead. Veronica pressed her lips together to stop the emotions from bubbling up in her, she would be emotional later, when she was alone because she really didn't want to let him go. She dropped her arms from his shoulders and brought her hands down to rest on his chest, watching her hands so she didn't look at his face and break down. "What's wrong?"

Archie was concerned when Veronica's face changed, she looked panicked. Veronica said nothing, she just grabbed his hands from her waist and held them out in front of her, checking his bare fingers. "Oh."

"Oh? What oh?" he asked looking at his fingers to see nothing out of the ordinary, they looked normal enough, he took her hands and looked back up at her confused, they looked fine too, delicate and pretty with those half finger rings she liked to wear with the full rings when they went out.

"I just thought," she started shaking her head and looking at the band on her left hand finger that hadn't been there before. "It's silly never mind."

Archie finally caught on and smiled bringing her hand up and kiss it. "Well we are in Vegas, maybe drunk us wanted Elvis to sing our vows," he said and she tilted her head and laughed, she was so used to rings on her fingers that she only realized when she stared at her hand that there was an extra one. "Maybe one day."

"Stop," she said shakily, they weren't supposed to want this anymore, he was already making her want to go back on all her words and burn her friendships to stay with him. "You should get dressed, Josie will be here soon, remember we're going to the beach today."

"Yeah, ok," he said gruffly letting go of her and moving to his suitcase, he changed quickly and went to grab his watch and class ring from the bedside table, watching Veronica sitting on the bed curled up in a ball and wishing circumstances were different. "Ronnie? I think … is this what you were thinking earlier?"

Veronica turned to him confused and saw him with a sheet of legal looking paper in his hands and furrowed her brows. "What is that?" she asked reaching out to take it from him, there was a knock on the door so she opened it for Josie still reading the paper.

"Ok girl, you owe me, I thought all this was over, Betty was in our room just now asking us if we knew where you were and it was an effort for me to lie to her and say you crashed with Val and Midge especially after I got your text to bring you clothes, you're lucky Midge spent the might with Moose otherwise we'd have even more questions," she ranted breezing into the room, closing the door and dropping a set of clothes for Veronica on the bed before looking up to see Veronica and Archie's shocked faces looking from her to each other. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

"We're married?" Veronica almost screamed, turning the paper for Archie to see the writing. "What … but … you-you don't have a ring."

"Urm," Archie held up a gold wedding band that matched hers and smiled sheepishly. "I take my class ring and watch off when I go to sleep, I must have taken it off as well."

"Are you guys serious right now?" Josie asked holding her arms out for them to stop talking so she could process this. "We come to Las Vegas and you guys actually get married?"

"Yes, we're like a couple out of a bad romance novel right now," Veronica gritted out and rubbed her head letting Josie take the page from her. "But we're 17, we're minors, don't we need parental consent for this to be legal? Oh wait, did we use our fake IDs?"

"No this looks like you used legit ID and yes, you're minors, highly intoxicated minors who managed to get parent signature's right there next to the witnesses signatures, how many people attended your wedding?" Josie asked pointing to the page again, Veronica squinted at the random names signed as parents and wondered who they convinced last night to help them. "You could just get your parents to say that they never signed this."

"No," both Archie and Veronica said, they could not get their parents involved in this, not yet. "We'll just go talk to the judge, we'll do this ourselves, I need to change," Veronica said, grabbing her clothes and rushing into the bathroom.

"Are you in shock?" Josie asked the redhead who just stood there and stared at the door Veronica went through. "Archie, how do you feel about this?"

"I …" he started, gathering his thoughts before looking at Josie with a small shrug. "Whenever I think about my future, she's all there is, it might be too soon and we're probably way too young but since I met her, she's just the only girl that I want to marry."

"Does she know this?" Josie asked with wide eyes, she caught them kissing months ago and had covered for them a few times since, she just assumed it was a casual thing, a friends with benefits deal, that's why she was hesitant to cover for them especially knowing the people they could hurt by being together, she never would have thought Archie was in love with Veronica.

"No," Archie said shaking his head and running his hand through his hair. "We've never talked about our feelings, this was always physical, we wanted to save our hearts when it ended so we tried not to let ourselves feel anything."

"You should tell her," Josie handed the license over to Archie and patted his arm. "I'll cover for you guys but there's only so much I can do," she said walking to the door. "Try not to be too long, we're meeting in the lobby in about 2 hours."

Archie barely waited for the door to close behind her before he sprinted for the bathroom and wrenched the door open to find Veronica fully dressed and staring at herself in the mirror. She looked up at him startled when the door opened but remained where she was.

He saw her hands twitch to reach for him but she stopped herself because they agreed that their relationship would only be purely platonic friends who never had any physical contact because if she touched him she'd want more. He couldn't do that, he reached her in two large steps and she felt her resolve fade and allowed him to wrap her up in his arms and make her feel better.

"Is it really so bad?" he asked and Veronica pulled away and looked at him. "The thought of being married to me?"

"No," she said after a moment. "But we can't be married, Archie, we're teenagers, we didn't plan this, we never spoke about marriage, we aren't even in a relationship," she said shaking her head and biting her lip. "Our parents are going to be so disappointed, they already didn't want us to come on this trip and our friends are going to hate us, oh God, Betty is going to hate me."

"Calm down Ronnie," he soothed rubbing her arms when she started hyperventilating. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, ok let's talk to the judge, maybe it's not legal, Josie is going to cover for us and the rest of the guys are meeting in about 2 hours, yeah?"

Veronica nodded and hugged him tighter before letting him go. "Let's go quickly, the quicker we know, the quicker we can figure out our plan of action."

"Hey, Veronica?" he asked when she left his arms to walk out of the bathroom, she turned and looked at him with a questioning look. "I … I'll meet you outside in a bit."

Veronica stared at him for a beat longer, trying to figure him out but nodded and left him, closing the door behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has been writing itself since I started playing around with this idea of Archie and Veronica married and not able to tell anyone, Josie is my favorite character out of the core four so she has been written in as my buffer lol I adore this story, its been my little project to help me with my stress and it's turned out pretty cute, its got that angsty, sweet, dramatic vibe to it
> 
> This idea actually came from a Stelena fic I read forever ago called 'Learning to deal' and I remembered the basic premise for it which is what got me started but the actual story is nothing like it. I have been working on this story since before I started the one shot series, just writing in the breaks I get at work and its written itself a couple chapters in, my muse has been hard at work with this one so I really hope you enjoy it because I am having a ball writing it
> 
> Be warned that this will contain references to the Betty-Archie-Veronica love triangle and so far Jughead has a very small role to play, also there are alot of things in this story that would not happen in real life so I need to ask you to suspend your belief for the story, this is just a writers imagination where she could make up her own rules and laws
> 
> Until next time (^^,)


	2. Chapter 2

"It could be worse," Archie said as they walked back toward the hotel, slowly. "They could have phoned our parents right then and there and told them what we did."

"As opposed to the alternative which is staying married unless our parents state to a judge that they believe the teenagers that they trust enough to go on a pre-senior year vacation aren't fit to get married?" Veronica replied pinching the bridge of her nose. "I see that going down very well with both sets of parents."

"Well he said as soon as the both of us are 18 then we can get divorced without having to inform them," Archie tried. "It's not like anything will be different, there's just this status change that doesn't have to affect anyone, no-one else has to know, except Josie, it's just a year."

"Secrets do not stay secret in Riverdale Archibald," Veronica snapped at him. "What were we thinking?"

"We were drunk Ronnie, we weren't thinking," Archie sighed. "We've kept us a secret for a long time, we can keep this a secret too."

"The reason I told you that we need to stop this was because I can't keep it a secret any longer Archie," Veronica said, throwing her arms out to the sides and turning to look at him with tears in her eyes, her resolve to keep feelings out of their conversations forgotten in this moment. "I want to be with you, but I can't be with you if I have to hide it, it's too hard Archie, don't you see, all this lying and sneaking around, it was fun at first but now it's just ... I can't do it anymore."

"Ok then let's not hide it," he said grabbing her arms to get her to listen to him when she started shaking her head, she just told him she wanted to be with him, he couldn't let that go without a fight. "Hear me out Ronnie, Betty will understand, it's been over a year since that closet incident, she knows I don't have any romantic feelings toward her, she hasn't brought it up since, she's had time to work through this, maybe you just think it's going to be worse than it is."

"No," Veronica whispered shaking her head, tears started to fall now. "She's still in love with you, that's why we stopped this after she broke up with Zeke, because she told me, I can't lose her, and you Archie, you tell me you don't have feelings for her but you did before and I see the way you look at her sometimes, I'm not going to be the reason the two of you don't take that chance!"

"We're almost at the hotel," Archie said, looking up at the place they were staying, where their friends would be waiting for them so that they could spend the last day together as one big group before hopping on a plane back to Riverdale for their last year together. "You should go in first, I'll come in after you so it won't look as if we were together, wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression."

"Archie," Veronica whispered turning to explain her words but he was already gone, jogging away from her. Veronica composed herself and wiped her tears before walking into the hotel to face her friends.

"V, I was so worried," Betty said hugging Veronica when she walked into the hotel. "Josie said you crashed in Valerie's room after you guys went to karaoke."

"Yep, we found a bar and I don't remember that much after that," Veronica said putting on her best fake happy face and adding onto Josie's cover story. "I didn't know where my key was and Val had an extra bed, so it made sense to just stay there instead of disturbing you."

"I wouldn't have minded, I just got a little nervous this morning when your bed didn't look slept in," Betty said sitting them down in the lobby so that they would wait for the rest of their gang to show up. "Where were you coming from?"

"I'm a little hungover, I needed to walk around and get some fresh air," Veronica told her, looking away so Betty couldn't look at her face. Her hangover was gone as soon as Archie stepped into the shower with her, but her trip to the court was bringing it back.

"Are you ok?" Betty asked nudging her.

"I'm exhausted, I'm just going to close my eyes for a second ok?" Veronica asked dropping her head to Betty's shoulder once the blonde nodded at her and closed her eyes.

Betty was Veronica's first friend when she moved to Riverdale, they were there for each other through the good and the bad times, dysfuncional families included. Veronica couldn't lose this friendship, Betty had been one of the few people to give her a second chance when she messed up and never turned her away when Veronica turned to her, their friendship meant too much too her, it didn't matter how she felt about Archie.

Archie. That first night she got to Riverdale, she walked into the town's diner like she was on a mission and he was sitting there with who she'll later find out was Betty, his best friend. Their eyes met and just like that there was no-one else in the room, she knew there was someone sitting in front of him but she didn't care, her eyes were only on him, she felt like herself again, powerful, like she could command an army of boys just by flipping her hair.

But then he introduced his friend and she came back to reality, the pact she made with herself to be a better person coming to the forefront of her mind as she declined joining them and leaving as soon as the chance presented itself. She was not the Veronica of New York anymore, she was the Veronica of Riverdale, this time she was going to be better.

It didn't help of course, that the boy she immediately wanted was already part of an 'Endgame' according to Kevin and the girl was none other than Betty Cooper, said boy's best friend and a girl she felt she was destined to be best friends with. She refused to be a bitch and get in the middle of that friendship the way the old Veronica would have.

So she did something she never did before, she helped Betty, or tried to anyway, go for the guy she wanted. Of course something had to conspire against her and that was the resident IT girl Cheryl Blossom, manipulating a game as stupid as spin the bottle to drive a wedge in her newly created perfect friendship with Betty and gave Veronica no choice but to get into a closet with Archie Andrews, red head, football player, musician, mysterious, sweetheart.

He was perfect, Veronica was screwed.

That kiss in the dark had Veronica wanting so much more and when it stopped so did her heart, his appearance gave away exactly what they were doing and she was sure hers did too. The panic in his eyes told her that he was thinking the same thing … Betty.

Her little Riverdale dream was over, she was sure of it, the friend she knew was her girl soulmate was going to hate her forever, the boy she had an immediate connection with was out of reach, what was she thinking? This new life she created for herself would never work. It took alot of trying and some grovelling and strangely enough, Cheryl Blossom just being herself for Veronica and Betty to put that night aside and make a pact to never fight over the same boy again and so B&V were formed, a friendship that became like a sister bond, with Archie Andrews hanging between them, not to be touched although their friends all still believed in their endgame and Veronica would just have to get over it.

"I see Archie, he looks a little lost, I'm going to see if he's ok," Betty said drawing Veronica out of her thoughts, she looked up to see the redhead entering the hotel lobby from another entrance, looking a little worse for wear and Veronica nodded at Betty. Betty was still Archie's closest childhood friend aside from Jughead, they had been through alot together and understood each other in a way no-one else would and Veronica was taking him away from Betty, she was going to be sick.

"What did the judge say?" Josie asked taking Betty's spot and Veronica's eyes went wide trying to see if anyone else heard what she had said. "Relax, Haley James Scott, no-one is close enough to eavesdrop."

"Haley and Nathan chose this, with their parents permission, I'm more of a Britney Spears circa marriage number 1," Veronica said smiling up at Josie before telling her that they stated their case and fought the judge but the choices were to get their parents to tell a judge they didn't give their consent or have their parents dissolve the marriage or just wait until they were both 18 to get divorced without getting other people involved. "I'm sorry I put you in the middle of this Josie."

"You're my friend V," Josie said rubbing Veronica's back. "And I endorse this."

"Really, because last month you almost had my head for thinking about being with him," Veronica said skeptically. "Why the change of heart?"

"Just a feeling I have," she said in a voice that said she knew more than she was letting on, Veronica smirked and looked up to see Betty and Archie smiling at each other and Betty stoking his hair and her smile fell.

"Then why does it feel like I'm getting in between something as special as that?" Veronica whispered. "When Archie and I started this, we never thought it would carry on for such a long time, we just fell into it because we were both lonely, it was a means to an end and the secrecy was exciting but now…"

"Now there are deep feelings that you need to face," Josie completed and Veronica smiled ruefully. "And Betty is going to be hurt."

"How do I stop having feelings?" Veronica asked dropping her face to her hands and Josie laughed looking up to see Betty and Archie approaching them.

"You don't, you're supposed to enjoy them with the boy that feels the same way about you," she said and then nudged Veronica to look up as the gang clustered around them. Most of their senior class had clubbed in and taken the trip to Vegas, Reggie Mantle got fake ID's for all of them and rest of them just had to keep up the façade that they were at a 5-year reunion and all of legal age to enjoy this holiday that they decided would be better to have the summer before senior year as everyone had plans for the summer after.

"I hope you girls have your bikini bodies ready because we're off to the beach," Reggie said rubbing his hands together, since it was the last day of their holiday they decided to spend it on Mandalay Bay Beach, for the full experience before they had to head back to Riverdale.

"You might want to keep that shirt on Mantle, I've seen how much you've been eating these past few days," Josie said rolling her eyes at him and Reggie looked down at his abs scandalised before looking back up at Josie.

"You want to keep these for your eyes only?" he asked with a smirk and Josie just glared at him. "For you, baby, I'll keep them hidden."

"Before you two start, I need to get changed," Veronica said standing up, getting ready to walk through them toward the rooms but Josie grabbed her hand.

"I got you covered," she said turning away from Reggie with one last look, to hand Veronica a beach bag with everything she needed.

"You are the best," Veronica said, opening it up to find everything she wanted packed for her. "Let's go guys, the bus should already be here."

"You're still wearing your ring," Archie whispered as he passed by Veronica and her eyes widened as she made a fist with her hand, hiding it from view. Archie was already gone when she looked up, she went to slip the ring of her finger and hesitated, shaking her head, Veronica pulled the ring off and hooked it to her necklace and slipping them both into her bag.

"Betty, wait for me," she called running to catch up with her friend.

* * *

For the most part Archie and Veronica put away the knowledge of their marriage and enjoyed the day, sometimes they'd catch each others eye and look away quickly, preferring to focus on Reggie and Josie's flirting.

After a whole day of thought, Veronica had decided to take Archie up on his offer to try to be together, to come out of hiding and attempt this in the face of the backlash their relationship will most probably get, because what Veronica felt for Archie was more than just a little crush or a friend with benefits deal, what she felt was so much deeper but she wasn't going to label it, not yet.

Betty and Archie were friends, Veronica knew that there was always a possibility of Archie's feelings turning into something romantic with Betty given the right circumstances and Betty hadn't said anything about her feelings for Archie in a while, the midnight confession at Pop's was so long ago and so close to her break-up that Veronica was certain it might have been something Betty confused for something else, all Veronica had to do was ask.

In the end she didn't even have to, as she and Betty lay in their beds the night before they left, Veronica got her answer.

"V? Are you awake?" she whispered into the darkness and Veronica's heart started to beat faster as she made a noise of acknowledgement. "I think I'm going to tell Archie this year, that we should be together, that we should try something, I feel like his feelings toward me might have changed, he's been different this holiday, especially today, I know when we said we wouldn't let a boy get between us again it meant Archie was off-limits but I think he's my forever V, so I hope you'll be ok with this."

Veronica said nothing, she just shut her eyes and let the hot tears slide down the sides of her face, her hands were clutched tightly at her sides, if she spoke she'd give herself away. She couldn't hold onto Archie, not with Betty feeling the way she did, not at the risk of losing her best friend.

Her feelings would have to be put aside, hidden again, she wouldn't hurt Betty, she was 18 in just under a year, Archie before her, the day she turned 18 they'll cease to be married anymore, no-one will know and everyone will live happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is coming from Fanfiction.net, I am BikerChick101 on there as well, I am falling asleep while typing this, so I'm going to upload the rest of the posted chapters tomorrow along with a running one shot series, if you want to read please make your way to ff.net until I have updated everything  
> Thank you for reading, I'm so new to posting on AO3, I hope this isnt a complete failure Until Next Time (^^,)


	3. Chapter 3

The plane ride home was a quiet one for Veronica, she sat in her window seat with Betty next to her chatting to Jughead about The Blue and Gold and how they were going to have to find students who would be passionate enough about reporting to take over from them once they had graduated.

Archie was seated in the row of seats in front of them, with Reggie who was talking loudly to the guys from the football team, Veronica heard Archie comment a few times to not draw any attention to himself but she could hear how distracted he was by the sound of his voice.

She sighed and bit on her lip, folding her arms onto the open tray table in front of her and staring out the window and trying to forget that this holiday even happened, that when she wakes up tomorrow morning in her room at the Pembrooke she will be a normal, carefree high school senior going to school to stress about finals and have a good time with her friends until a time when they get split up for collage.

Half way through the flight, they had all quietened down, Betty was asleep like most of them probably were, her head on Jugheads shoulder, Jughead was reading with his earphone's on bopping his head gently to the music, he and Veronica had never been close enough to have conversations without Betty or Archie so neither tried.

Veronica couldn't take not knowing if Archie were angry with her or not especially after yesterday, they didn't speak once they entered the hotel, at the beach he stuck to the guys and sometimes Betty, every time Veronica was in range he'd make an excuse and move to someone else. She didn't intend to sound so harsh when they had left the court, no matter what had happened between them and how much they disagreed over hoe to move forward from everything that happened in Las Vegas, she didn't want him to be angry with her.

There was a space between his seat and the wall of the plane so she leaned forward in her seat a little more and stuck her hand through as inconspicuously as she could, she had the tray open to cover where her hand was and she hoped Archie was still awake enough to feel her gentle prodding.

She didn't have to wait too long before her hand was covered by his, pressing it to his other arm and his thumb gently rubbing her skin. "Hey," he whispered, when his head dropped to the window pane and she could see the red of his hair.

"Hi," she whispered back cocking her head so that her hair fell like a veil, covering her from anyone looking at her. "Are we ok?"

The movement on her hand stopped and Veronica nervously curled her hand around the arm she was holding. "We will be Ronnie," he said eventually, squeezing her hand and starting up the rubbing again. "Get some sleep, I know you're tired."

"Ok," she whispered, her eyes were already closing, she went to pull her hand back but Archie's grip tightened and Veronica stopped moving, content to leave her hand in his. It took her longer than usual to fall asleep, long enough for her to feel her hand move and Archie's lips press a kiss to the back of it and know that it wasn't a dream.

* * *

"I booked us for hers and hers massages before we have to be stressed out seniors," Veronica said when she breezed into Betty's room. The blonde sat up in bed and squinted at the time and then her friend sourly, today was supposed to be recovery from their trip for school the next day. "It's a full day experience B, we're burning daylight."

"Are those cupcakes?" Betty asked stretching and yawning. Veronica held up the white box and grinned when she nodded. "The last time I got pastries and a hers and hers anything from you was that night at Cheryl's party when you had 7 minutes in heaven with Archie and I was angry with you, something you want to tell me?"

"Of course not," Veronica said waving her off and touching the space on her left hand where her wedding ring was supposed to sit. "Can't a best friend do something special for her other best friend especially when said first best friend needs a massage after her wild Vegas trip."

"It's too early in the morning for that talk V," Betty laughed grabbing her clothes and walking to the bathroom. "I'll try to be quick."

"Take your time," Veronica said softly, catching movement in the window of the house next door, taking a seat on Betty's window seat and looking across to Archie's window. She smiled when she saw him, he was shirtless digging around in his cupboard, tempting her.

She thought about their second kiss, it was after Betty had started dating Zeke seriously. Her parents were keeping things from her and that ended up in a huge fight and her leaving the house, Betty was on a date and Kevin was out of town so she couldn't go to them. That left Archie and Jughead at his house or one of the other girls from the class, she refused to go to Cheryl's creepy mansion and she was sure Josie and the Pussycats were practicing. Besides all that, if there was anyone she wanted to see it was the gorgeous redhead that could always make her forget her problems with his cheeky smile.

Archie opened the door for her with exactly that smile and Veronica couldn't help but smile back. "What brings you here?"

"I had a fight with my parents and I ended up here," she said with a shrug as he let her into the house.

"Everyone else busy?" he asked and she gasped at the accusation. "I'm just asking Ronnie."

"Yes everyone else is busy, but you're not my last choice Archikins," she said sweetly, sitting herself down on his couch and leaning back. "You're actually just the person I wanted to see."

"Well you've got me all to yourself," he said smiling at her as he sat next to her and slouched down, dropping his head to the back of the couch and turning the volume of the T.V down all the way. "Jughead is with his dad and my dad has gone to see my mom."

"Are they still going through with the divorce?" Veronica asked carefully, Archie had spoken to them about his parents a few times before, he never really told her what his feelings toward this divorce was but Betty and Jughead seemed to understand so she just had to deal with the fact that she got to Riverdale too late to be so deep into their group.

"Yeah they are," he said sighing and rubbing his face. "I'm ok with them getting divorced, I know it's better for them, I just wish things were different, when I get married I hope that I stay married to that one person forever, but anyway, tell me what brings you all the way here from the comfort of the Pembrooke."

Veronica told him about her parents being shady and keeping things from her, her dad had just been released from prison and she wanted full transparency but that was too much to ask for, Archie just listened to her without offering any unwanted advice because she just needed to vent and held her hand comfortingly as she spoke. One thing led to another that night with them, Archie leaned up and kissed her and she stopped, she was going to stop it completely and remind him about Betty but Betty was on a date and Archie was looking at her with a hopeful expression and she wanted to kiss him, she wanted to just lose herself in him. So she kissed him back.

By the end of the night after alot of kissing and laughs and fooling around, he tucked her into his bed and crashed on the blow up mattress that Jughead usually used. Veronica woke up the next morning even more fascinated with this boy than she was before, she knew it wasn't something that she could pursue not until she spoke to Betty but the butterfly's she felt from just looking at his sleeping face made her want her mornings to look like this. She kneeled down next to him and took in his features, she would never find a boy so perfect that made her feel the way he did, so she pressed a long kiss to his cheek and traced a line down his jaw as a goodbye and a thank you for letting her know what being with him could be like before sneaking out of the house to face the music at home.

"You look deep in thought," Betty said when she got back into the room, dressed up for their day and Veronica turned sharply, her eyes wide because she got caught but Betty didn't seem to care much that she was staring into Archie's room. "Is Archie there?"

Veronica turned back to look at Archie's room and found it now empty, so she shook of her guilty feelings and turned back to Betty. "No, his room is empty."

"He's up early," Betty commented as Veronica got up and made her way across the room to the door. "Veronica, are you sure you're ok, you haven't been yourself since the other morning."

"I am fine B," Veronica assured her. "I just need this massage to reset my mind."

"Let's go then," Betty smiled, grabbing her bag and following her friend out of the house.

* * *

"This is just what I needed," Veronica said, her voice slurred because of how relaxed her was as the masseuse started on her back. "I feel better already."

"I'm glad, I didn't even know I needed this," Betty said smiling with closed eyes. "Thank you V."

"Only a pleasure, bestie," Veronica said sighing deeply.

"V, I said something to you the other night and I think you were asleep because you didn't answer me," Betty started and Veronica's body tensed up so much that her masseuse clucked her tongue and pressed harder into Veronica's skin.

"What did you say?" Veronica asked, focusing of relaxing herself so she didn't look panicked to Betty.

"Do you remember when you first moved here and after you kissed Archie," Betty asked and Veronica swallowed and pressed her lips together. "We made a pact that we wouldn't let a boy come between us ever again?"

"It's all I think about," Veronica mumbled and then cleared her throat when Betty opened her eyes to look at her. "I mean, that was the night that B&V was formed, how could I forget?"

"Oh, well, I know that at the time we both had feelings for Archie and we haven't brought it up after that night but I wanted to know how you felt about him now," Betty asked, when Veronica failed to reply Betty explained her words. "I just, he and I have stayed close after that experience and I feel like maybe with this being our last year that his feelings have changed."

"I don't know," Veronica started and then she realized that she didn't actually know where Archie stood with his feelings for Betty, after they went to the court he said he had no romantic feelings toward her but Veronica wasn't sure if that was just to make her feel better about what they did.

"This last year, since my breakup, he's been more attentive, he always seems to be around me more and I feel like maybe that's a sign," Betty said and Veronica closed her eyes and sighed. Archie had tried not to make them obvious, only choosing to sit next to Veronica when there was no other seat otherwise choosing to be next to Betty as he had always done before, they never expected that it would lead Betty on. "Say something V."

"I …" Veronica was at a loss for words, she selfishly didn't want Betty to tell Archie her feelings because she was afraid that Archie would feel the same. She always knew that he had some sort of feelings toward Betty how romantic those feelings were, she didn't know. If they started something Veronica was sure it could develop into something deeper, the bitch in her wanted to scream at Betty to stop being so oblivious and see that she and Archie would never be together because he was Veronica's but she couldn't do that.

"Has he said something to you?" Betty asked curiously after Veronica failed to comment on what she said.

"No, he hasn't," Veronica said slowly, biding her time so she could form the correct sentence in her head. "I just don't think he feels that way about you and I don't want you to get hurt," she said, technically Archie was married to Veronica so it wasn't a stretch to assume that he'd say no to Betty.

"He hasn't been with anyone since Valerie and that was such a long time ago," Betty said and Veronica nodded, the night she was remembering earlier was from a few days after he broke up with Valerie. "Are you against this because you still want to be with him?"

"No, it's not that," Veronica said all the while thinking the opposite and hating herself for it and not being able to just tell Betty the truth. "I just ... what will you do if he doesn't feel the same?"

"V, what if he says yes?" she asked and Veronica shook her head. "When we were kids Archie wanted to marry me, I told him to wait till we're 18 and I'll say yes, there's just a couple months left till that and I want us to be in a position where it's not just a child's innocence asking, it's where he's actually in love with me and wants to get married to me."

Veronica cringed at the mention of marriage and blinked rapidly as she tried to stop the onslaught of tears that surprised her. "B I just don't want you to get hurt," Veronica managed to get out, turning her face away from Betty and putting it back into the face hole to hide the tears that started to fall.

"I won't," Betty said turning her head away as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Veronica was a jittery mess for the entirety of her first week back at school. So far Betty hadn't said anything to Archie but Veronica was avoiding both of them so even if something had been said, she had no idea.

"I don't mind you sitting in, sometimes you actually help, but if you're hiding I'm going to have to kick you out," Josie said after one of the Pussycats rehearsals. Veronica had been hiding in the music room, offering advice when she mood struck her and catching up on homework and reading while the girls rehearsed.

"How about you pretend like I'm invisible for another month and then we can talk?" Veronica tried and Josie shot her an exasperated look. "Fine, I'm sure the library won't kick me out."

"Get your sassy ass out of here and go talk to your husband," Josie said and Veronica glared at the term. "Seriously though V, that boy looks lost since we've been back, he needs you to talk to him."

"Betty wants him, she wants to tell him that they should try to be together but I don't know when she's going to do it," Veronica confessed, she hadn't said anything before she'd just been hiding in the music room waiting for the outcome of that conversation. "I tried to tell her that she should wait for him to come to her or until she was sure about his feelings but she's convinced that now is the right time."

"That's why you're hiding in my music room? You know what we need?" Josie asked, sitting down next to Veronica and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "We need another night out, just like that first night you, Kevin, Reggie and I went out because my dad's coming to town next week and girl, I need to blow of some steam."

"That is a perfect idea," Veronica said rubbing her hands together.

"For the sake of my sanity please can we tell more than just Reggie this time," Josie said and Veronica laughed. "You know what let me do the inviting, you just show up and be your usual charming self."

"You know you love it when Mantle's biceps get in your way," Veronica teased, nudging Josie. "Especially when he's using them to carry you around."

"Urg, V, now why did you have to say that," Josie said making gagging noises and Veronica laughed, on their last day in Las Vegas when it was about time to leave back to the hotel, Josie was falling asleep on her feet and Reggie took it upon himself to pick her up and carry her all the way back to the bus bridal style so she didn't have to walk. "I do not need him or his bi-ceps anywhere near me."

"I think it's sweet," Veronica laughed. "That neither of you will admit how much you're crushing on the other."

"V I swear if you don't stop talking I'm cancelling our night out and you know I'm the only one who can make sure you have a good time," Josie warned with a roll of her eyes and Veronica held her hands up in surrender. "I'll talk to the guys, after practice they'll be ready for a party."

"Great, I'm going to go track down Betty and Kevin before anyone suspects that I've been hiding from them," Veronica said standing up and blowing Josie a kiss. "Text me the details."

"That girl," Josie said to herself shaking her head.

* * *

"You haven't been avoiding me because of what I said about Archie, are you?" Betty asked falling into step beside Veronica and Veronica shook her head and smiled, making plans with Josie put her in a very good mood. "Ok good because I was worried that you were taking this as me breaking our pact."

"No, I've been with Josie and the Pussycats, helping out with one of their songs," Veronica said with a smile. "Have you spoken to our favorite redhead yet?"

"Ooh what does she have to talk to Archie about?" Kevin asked coming to stand on the other side of Veronica, who tilted her head and looked at Betty to explain. "Well don't leave me in suspense."

"I want to talk to Archie again about us possibly becoming a couple," Betty said rolling her head to the side and closing her eyes as if waiting for Kevin to tell her it was a horrible idea like Veronica did.

"You mean my endgame could be happening?" he asked clapping his hands together happily and Betty smiled at his enthusiasm. "When are you going to do it?"

"Tonight," she said glancing at Veronica who shrugged, she had already told Betty not to go ahead with it, she wasn't going to beg or physically restrain her from speaking to Archie. "We're going to Pop's for milkshakes, Jug will probably show up as well but I want to talk to him alone before Juggy gets there."

"It pains me that we're not a part of this exclusive group of theirs," Kevin said finally turning his attention to Veronica and frowning slightly. "Why don't you look excited about this?"

"Because she doesn't think that I should do this," Betty replied, she didn't look upset at Veronica for feeling this way just saddened that she didn't have her support.

"I just don't want you to get hurt and while Archie will never intentionally hurt you, he also probably won't say yes to dating you to spare you any pain," Veronica said, knowing that she sounded a little harsh.

"And you know what Archie is thinking?" Kevin asked, his tone suggesting that Veronica was just keeping Betty away from Archie because she wanted him for herself.

"Leave it Kev, it's Veronica's opinion," Betty said sighing and Veronica bit her lip and shook her head, she really hated being the person that stood directly in the way of what could possibly be her best friends happiness.

"Yeah and if this fails she can say I told you so," Kevin said with a frown and Veronica clenched her jaw, this was not a case of the jealous best friend, she was just trying to save Betty's feelings, especially if Archie was being serious about not having romantic feelings for Betty. "And then probably go in for the kill."

"I'll be happy if this works out," Veronica gritted out. "I won't mention it if it doesn't but I don't want her to be hurt if he doesn't feel the same."

With that Veronica turned and walked away, she had one more person to talk to before her emotions were spent.

* * *

"Ok girl, Kevin flat out refused to be within 10 paces of you but I got everyone else Reggie could pack into this place," Josie said flopping down next to Veronica on the VIP couch she organized them, most of the people that joined them on their Vegas trip was on the dance floor having the time of their lives, in the middle of a school week, she wondered how half of them managed that. "Now would you stop moping and join me on the dance floor."

"I did something I might regret," Veronica said twirling her straw in her glass and Josie sat up straight and looked at her waiting for Veronica to tell her what.

"What are you two doing just sitting here?" Cheryl Blossom asked, her two favorite minions behind her giggling. "You invited us here, I expect you to dance with us."

"Fine, fine, but you and me, will finish this later," Josie said pointing to Veronica as the minions pulled the both of them up and dragged them over to the dance floor with the rest of the cheerleaders.

Veronica let the music and the alcohol and the dancing wash over her and make her forget everything that was currently happening outside of this club, most probably at Pop's. She was in her element right now, Reggie had hooked them up with Jingle Jangle so Veronica felt like she was back in New York, free from any emotional attachment to anyone. She only cared about herself and that's how she liked it, that's how she wanted it.

"Now that was the party girl I remember," Josie said collapsing onto the couch like she did earlier and fanning herself and Veronica smirked.

"Speak for yourself, I saw you out there on the dance floor," Veronica laughed and then nodded her head to the boys that were at the bar. "Reggie couldn't keep his eyes off you, he still can't."

"Reggie needs to keep his eyes to himself," Josie said pointing to her eyes and then to Reggie and giggling when he raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself, striking a pose.

"I ship this so hard," Veronica laughed, Reggie and Josie were ridiculously flirty with each other, she loved their chemistry. "You need to give him a chance."

"When he deserves a chance I'll give it to him," Josie said nudging Veronica, who grinned back.

"I will be there with Pompoms and condoms," Veronica said and both the girls laughed. "Although to be clear, I will be far, far away when you guys are actually getting down and dirty."

"Ew," Josie said closing her eyes and shaking her head, she was nowhere near thinking that far down the line yet. "So tell me teen-wife, what did you do wrong?"

"I told Archie not to shut Betty down when she told him about her feelings," Veronica said reaching over out to take one of the drinks from the waiter Reggie sent their way. "I told him that he should give it a chance."

"You did what?" Josie asked sitting up straight and staring at Veronica who was still slumped on the couch, twirling the straw in her glass and nodded slowly as she stared out on the dance floor, which had emptied significantly from the time they entered. "Hold up, start from the beginning, I'm missing something."

"She told me that she was dead set on telling him her feelings today and I didn't want her to be hurt again so I told him that he had to take her seriously," Veronica said turning her head to face Josie. "I want her to be happy, and I don't want to be the reason that he breaks her heart especially when there are feelings that he has for her that could grow into something romantic, they should take this chance and see where it leads maybe it will be beautiful and they'll get married because they want to not because they were drunk."

"What is wrong with you?" Josie asked, slapping her friend on her arm. "Why would you do that? You don't even want this, he doesn't want this, if Betty knew, she wouldn't want this either."

"First, ow," Veronica said rubbing her arm. "And second, I broke our pact, I married him, this is the least I can do."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Josie asked. "Veronica, this boy wants you and you are pushing him onto Betty because of some ridiculous pact and maybe feelings, how can this possibly work out for any of you?"

"I take my pacts very seriously," Veronica protested. "Especially the ones I make with myself."

"I'm not saying that you shouldn't," Josie argued. "I'm just saying that this one is ridiculous."

"I'm not girlfriend material Jo, I don't know the first thing about being a girlfriend," Veronica said straightening herself out. "Archie deserves someone like Betty who will be the perfect girlfriend, she'll listen to his problems and actually help when he needs it, all I was to him was sex, and that's how I liked it."

"Oh V," Josie said hugging the other girl to her side. "You are so much more than just sex, Archie knows it and if you took a step back and looked at your relationship you would know it too, you've changed from the person you think you still are, if you let yourself you could be that perfect girlfriend you've built up in your head that you think Archie needs."

"I should go," Veronica muttered grabbing her bag and standing up. "Will you be ok?"

"Val and Melody are still here," Josie said squeezing Veronica's hand. "Text me when you're home."

* * *

Veronica took a slow walk back to the Pembrooke, along the Sweet Water River path, it was dark and lonely and in any other city it would be dangerous but in Riverdale the most dangerous thing to Veronica was the boy standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets waiting for her to reach him.

She remembered him looking sheepishly at her in the change room the night they sang together at one of the town celebrations, she remembered wanting to kiss him again but they hadn't spoken about the night she stayed over so she just thought that he didn't want her like that.

But then he grabbed her hand when she was walking past him to leave the room and he tugged her against him, giving her enough time and opportunity for her to move away from him before he kissed her, smiling against her lips which sent a spark down Veronica's spine.

"We shouldn't," Veronica whispered when they broke apart but leaned in for another kiss.

"If you're worried about Betty, don't," Archie told her walking them back to a dressing table and helping her up so they were eye to eye. "She's with someone else."

"Doesn't matter," she told him as he kissed her neck and her eyes shut. "I don't want a relationship."

"Me neither but I want you," Archie countered picking his head up and Veronica narrowed her eyes slightly, he was not a boy to just have flings without commitment, but she wanted him so she didn't question him she just placed her hand on the back of his neck and tugged him to her.

"I want you too," she said before she kissed him and stopped their talking for the night.

She was brought back to the present when she was close enough to him to see him shake his head from side to side and she let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I couldn't do it."

"It's ok," she said walking toward him so she could stand right in front of him. "This doesn't mean that we can go back to our old arrangement, or do what we did in Las Vegas."

"I don't think we can get married again while this marriage is still valid," Archie smirked and Veronica rolled her eyes and laughed, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"Don't be smart," Veronica said rubbing her arms. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I'm going to stay away from you guys for a while," he said taking off his jacket to wrap it around her shoulders and she smiled at his thoughtfulness, inhaling the delicious scent that was Archie. "We decided it was better that I give her space to get over it."

"I'm so sorry," Veronica said looking back up at him.

"Ronnie, it's not your fault, even if you weren't here, this would be the outcome," he told her, reaching up to cup her cheek and then thought better of it, if they touched he wouldn't be able to let her go. "I do love her, but not in the way that she wants me to love her."

"Doesn't stop me from feeling guilty," she told him and he nodded. "This is such a mess Archikins."

"It will work out," Archie said, starting to walk them along the path so he could get her home safely.

"I hope so."


	5. Chapter 5

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," Archie laughed when he saw Veronica with her massive sunglasses walking through the halls of Riverdale High, after he walked her home he realized how much she actually drank and he knew what state she'd be in when she got to school the next day.

"It's too bright Archikins," Veronica said squeezing her eyes shut when he pulled her sunglasses off. "You're supposed to be staying far away from me."

"And let my wife go by without teasing her about her hangover," he quipped and Veronica's body tensed up so much that Archie cringed at his words. "Sorry, too soon to joke."

"V, is everything ok here?" Betty asked coming to stand next to them and barely sparing a glance in Archie's direction.

"It will be as soon as my shades are back on my face," Veronica mumbled and Archie laughed putting her sunglasses on and using the opportunity to push her hair back, touching her as much as he could before drawing his hands from her face. "Thank you."

"I'll see you guys later," he said before leaving them.

"That was awkward," Veronica mumbled putting in her locker combination and opening it up. "I don't know how I'm going to get through today."

"Oh Veronica you look like I felt this morning," Cheryl Blossom piped up next to them, looking like she just stepped off the runway. "But this will help."

"What is that?" Betty asked, catching a whiff of whatever was in the flask Cheryl handed over and almost gagged.

"Only the number one Blossom hangover cure, it's already helped the Pussycats," she said winking at them. "Well hurry up, I don't have all day, I have other people to cure."

"Don't rush me," Veronica said frowning at the concoction and holding her breath before taking a gulp. "What is in this?"

"Family secret," Cheryl said with a huge smile on her red lips. "Toodles."

"I can never tell if she's trying to help me or trying to kill me," Veronica said rubbing her burning throat and watching the flaming red head strut away from them.

"V about last night," Betty started, intending to tell her what happened with Archie when Veronica's eyes went wide and she held up a finger.

"Excuse me," she whispered and then sprinted to the bathroom to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. "Remind me to never drink as much as I did last night."

"Is everything ok with your parents?" Betty asked concerned as she rubbed Veronica's back. "Every time you've pulled a clubbing session you were trying to get something from your parents."

"Believe it or not, things with my parents are amazing right now," Veronica said standing up on shaky legs and flushing before walking to the sink to wash out her mouth. "Josie on the other hand, needed last night and I was happy to oblige."

"Maybe a little too happy," Betty said and Veronica nodded, fixing up her make up.

"As crazy as Cheryl is, that worked," Veronica said standing up straight after she finished her lipstick and looking at herself in the mirror. "But I still feel disgusting."

"What did Archie want?" Betty asked curiously once Veronica was done making herself look presentable and they walked out of the bathroom.

"To tell me that I looked like a zombie," Veronica said rolling her eyes, not his exact words but she got the meaning behind it.

"Oh," Betty said, and Veronica glanced quickly in her direction, she obviously thought that they had talked about what happened at Pop's the night before. When Archie met up with Veronica when she was walking home, he only told her that he couldn't do what she asked. "You were right, he doesn't want to be with me in that way."

"I'm sorry B, I didn't want to be right," Veronica said sighing and looking out at the rest of the students walking the halls, as much as she wanted Archie, she truly didn't want Betty to be hurt. "What did he say?"

"Well I told him that I was thinking about how much we've grown in the past couple years and that I've always thought that we would be together by the end of school to complete this love story for the ages," Betty said with a wistful smile as if she were thinking about how perfect it all sounded on paper. "And he looked like he was going to tell me that we should give it a chance and he wanted it too."

"But," Veronica prodded, furrowing her brows.

"Then he looked at his phone and I don't know what he saw but when he turned back to me, he just said that he doesn't feel that way and he doesn't think that his feelings for me were going to change," Betty said biting on her lip. "He said that he does love me and he doesn't want to hurt me but he can't give me false hope."

"Oh, B," Veronica soothed hooking her arm through Betty's as they walked. "That's why it was so awkward."

"I told him that I needed some time, I needed to just be away from him for a while and he agreed," Betty said with a shrug. "Jughead had perfect timing, he got there just after that and distracted us until Archie got a message and basically ran out of Pops, but he seems fine today so I doubt that anything bad happened."

"B, you and Archie have been friends for such a long time," Veronica said wincing, this was the part she didn't want to happen, she didn't want their friendship to be affected, she had always hoped that Betty would get over her feelings for Archie when it became apparent that he wasn't going to feel the same way.

"We'll be friends again, in time, but right now I need to stay away from him and I would like it if you would as well," Betty asked and Veronica swallowed uncomfortably but nodded with a smile. "Thank you, just for a little while."

"Of course," Veronica said, this new promise would help Veronica with her need to be close to Archie and it should pass enough time for them to get to their 18th birthdays and finally forget what Las Vegas handed to them. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I will be," Betty said with a sad smile. "I wish things were different but I just need to accept how it is."

* * *

"I'm curious," Veronica said when she entered the music room to find Josie playing on the piano and writing down the notes she played. "Where are the other Pussycats?"

"That's what you're curious about?" Josie asked laughing and Veronica narrowed her eyes. "They're stuck in class, they should be done in about 10 minutes, close the door, tell me your problems."

"How often do you text one Archie Andrews?" Veronica asked shutting the door and hopping onto a stool next to Josie. "Because from what Betty has told me and how a certain redhead knew what time I'd be walking home, I can only assume he had help."

"Veronica, how could you accuse me of conspiring against you?" Josie asked with a toothy smile and Veronica raised a very sharp eyebrow in response. "Do you even remember how down you were last night? I figured it had to do with Archie so I may have sent him a picture or two before Cheryl pulled you onto the dance floor to get him to come to the club and get you out of your own head."

"I did not need anyone, least of all Archie, to get me out of my head," Veronica said and Josie shot her a disbelieving look. "Don't give me that look."

"I don't know who you're trying to fool but it's not me," Josie laughed crossing her legs. "You were torturing yourself, wondering whether Betty took your man or not, you needed to see him after all that so I think you should be thanking me."

"Archie went against my advice and told Betty he only loves her as a friend and I'm pretty sure your constant messaging caused it, if that makes you feel better," Veronica told her, ignoring the 'your man' part and Josie smiled smugly. "Although I also promised her that I'll stay away from Archie for as long as she wants me to."

"What... You have been making terrible decisions regarding that boy," Josie scolded. "You need to admit that the reason you're in this mess of being married to him in the first place is because you're in love with him."

"I am not in love with him," Veronica snapped taking a breath to calm herself. "I just like how he makes me feel and how I can forget the everything when he's kissing me."

"Ok, too much information V," Josie said snapping her fingers in front of her friends face when Veronica looked like she was lost in her own world. "But that proves that you have some deep feelings for him, which is a good thing because he's your husband," Josie stressed and Veronica cringed. "Don't make that face, go talk to him, be secret lovers again for all I care, but just admit the reasons to yourself.

"Thank you Oprah," Veronica said sarcastically and Josie gave her a satisfied grin. "I can't do that to Betty, if anything had to happen with Archie, I would want her to be ok with it."

"If you would just stop making excuses," Josie said exasperatedly but Veronica was already jumping up out of her seat and walking toward the door. "Ronnie, don't you walk away from me."

"Love you Josie," Veronica called opening the door and leaving Valerie and Melody, who had just reached the music room with confused and amused looks as they walked in to find Josie frustrated with her friend.

* * *

Surprisingly when Veronica and Archie first started their secret liaison, it was very innocent. Their first few weeks were the tiniest moments stolen between classes or practice and parties, where they only had time to kiss and flirt and touch. Nothing serious happened until New Year's Day.

Everyone had gathered at the celebration in town and counted down to the New Year, Veronica and Archie had been with their friends, sharing looks when no-one was looking, little touches when they were inconspicuous enough to do so and just waiting for after midnight when the year changed and everyone dispersed.

Their friends all had plans later that day so they needed to get home and sleep or they just wanted a little alone time with their significant others which left Archie and Veronica walking the quiet streets back to the Pembrooke, her parents were in New York, at a party with an investor that they couldn't turn down that left her with the apartment all to herself, to do what, or who, she wanted.

"Are you sure we have this place to ourselves?" he asked nervously as she led them through the dark apartment, not bothering with lights since they were heading straight for her bedroom.

"Yes, my parents are away until Monday, Andre is not as loyal to my parents about reporting my activities as Smithers was no matter what my father wants to believe," Veronica said grinning as she pulled him into her room and backed him into the door, pushing it shut.

"Tease," he said with a laugh when he bent down to kiss her and she moved her lips just out of his reach and Veronica smiled. She leaned up and finally captured his lips in a heated kiss, Archie pushed himself off the door and walked her back to her bed picking her up and sitting her on it.

"We've had this day with each other from the very beginning Archikins," she told him once her dress had fallen away and he gave her a half smile and looked at her with dark eyes, his eyes slipping shut and a groan escaping from his lips when she scratched her nails down the front of his chest.

Archie said nothing more, he just pushed her further back onto the bed and moved himself to rest on top of her.

That night began Archie and Veronica's road to Vegas, any opportunity they had where they could be together without anyone seeing them or suspecting anything they were. They couldn't keep their hands or eyes of the other, especially on game days, neither of them could resist the other in uniform.

Veronica never told Archie that he was the first person she'd ever been with like that. She never trusted anyone enough in New York to give her virginity to and in Riverdale the only boys she went out with was Chuck and Reggie and neither of them got to this point. Until Archie Andrews and even then only Archie Andrews was ever allowed to have her in that way.

In the privacy of her room Veronica lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling thinking about everything that she could have done differently, her parents were not very happy with her mid-week late night but they were more concerned at her behavior than angry. Hermione had been hovering, not coming out and asking if there was a problem but being close by just in case Veronica wanted to talk.

Veronica didn't mind it but she couldn't ask her mother's advice or tell her what the problem was without telling her about the wedding ring perched on her dresser. The ring itself was one of those cute imitation jewelry rings, she checked her bank balance almost immediately to make sure her parents wouldn't suspect anything sketchy based on her spending, while she did have expensive taste, that would still be hard to explain.

Veronica's phone buzzed beside her and she glanced down to see Archie's name pop up with a message asking if she were awake. She knew what this was, usually it would be labelled as a booty call by anyone who knew about their previous late night meetings but Veronica was nothing if not observant and she knew that he wanted to talk more than restart their physical relationship.

She was going to ignore him, she couldn't do this to Betty, she and Archie were supposed to stay purely physical, she knows that he wanted to talk to her about feelings before and every time she cut him off until Las Vegas when her emotions got the better of her because she could not trust herself not to be emotional with him, that would hurt more people than she was willing to hurt. But Josie was right, she needed to hear him out and she needed to talk to him herself.

She sent him a quick text message to meet her outside the Pembrooke and slid out of bed, throwing on a dress and her cape she snuck out of the house, putting on her boots when she was in the elevator to the lobby.

"I didn't think you were going to answer me," he said leaning casually against his dad's truck looking like a Greek god as she exited the building and Veronica shivered before quickening her steps to reach him.

"I didn't think I was going to either," Veronica said, smiling to herself when he opened the door for her, he was always such a gentleman. "But something Josie said earlier made me realize that we have some things to discuss."

"She's been really good to have around these last 2 weeks," Archie commented, driving them to their usual spot by a cluster of tree's at the edge of Sweet Water River. "Although Reggie hasn't been very happy with me."

Veronica smiled and shook her head, she was going to play matchmaker like Josie was trying with her, by Halloween she'll have them together. "She's taking her secret keeper job very seriously," Veronica sighed. "Archie, what are we doing?"

"We're sitting in my dad's truck, with Pop's shakes," Archie grinned pulling out the cups from the holders between them and handed one to her.

"You know what I mean," Veronica said taking the cup and straw from him, Archie took a breath as if steadying herself before turning himself to face her.

"Ever since you walked into my life Ronnie, I've been … fascinated by you, by who you were and the things you did," Archie told her, smiling as if he was reliving her strutting into Pop's and meeting his eyes as she dropped the hood from her head. "After we kissed that first time even though we weren't supposed to, I wanted more, I wanted you, but everything with Betty stopped us from even thinking about it."

"After she started dating Zeke, I got you, even if it were in secret and not a proper relationship, I still got you and it was incredible," he told her tilting his head to see more of her face. "You make me feel things I have never dreamed I could feel for a person and I fell in love with you, you're it for me Veronica, you're the person I want to marry, the person I did marry, I don't care that we're too young and I don't know if you feel any of what I feel but I want you to know that I love you Ronnie and I want us to be together."

"Archie," Veronica whispered, a tear dripping down her cheek, she used her hand to wipe her cheek and looked away from him. She couldn't say it back, she had too much anxiety right now to think straight, she had too many conflicting feelings. Her love and loyalty for Betty and her feelings for Archie that she tucked away, not thinking she'd ever have to ever face them. She wasn't ready for this.

"I can't," she started and he shook his head as he reached out to push her hair back. "Take me home, please," she finally got out shakily and Archie's face fell but he nodded and started the truck up again and drove her home. Once they reached the Pembrooke Veronica took a deep breath and looked over at Archie who hadn't spoken or looked at her. "I want to be with you," she said. "I do Archie, but we can't, not now."

Archie didn't say anything, he just got out of the truck and opened the door for her, still a gentleman. Veronica slid out of the truck with help from him and reached up to kiss his cheek, he nodded but still refused to meet her eyes, instead he just watched the front door and the doorman holding it open for Veronica. "I know Ronnie," he sighed letting go of her hand, as much as it hurt, he understood her more than she knew. "I'll see you around."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've uploaded 4 chapters at once so if you haven't read the previous chapters please do so

"You look very distracted today, and not in a good way," Betty said as they sat down for lunch, Kevin was still unhappy with Veronica, even more now that she turned out to be right about Archie that he just huffed at her.

"I do?" Veronica asked blushing slightly as she dropped her gaze to the table she couldn't help flashing back to the night before in Archie's truck, that hurt look on his face, she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Who is he?" Kevin asked staring at Veronica with a suspicious look on his face and Veronica raised a questioning eyebrow at him, even Betty looked confused. "The boy that's got you this distracted, who is he?"

"Why does it always have to be a boy? I am perfectly capable of having other problems," Veronica shot back, narrowing her eyes at him, there was no way that Kevin could have figured her and Archie out, but she had to be sure.

Before Kevin could say anything else to Veronica, Cheryl popped up out of nowhere. "Hello Vixens," she said taking a seat next to Veronica and looking at Kevin. "Gay."

"Hi Cheryl," they replied, not nearly as enthusiastically as she did. "What brings you all the way here?" Veronica asked.

"The Blossoms are having their annual Maple Syrup tapping ceremony and all of you townies are invited this year in honor of Jason and Polly's impending twins," she said pulling out invitations and handing it to them with a huge smile as Betty and Veronica shared a bewildered look. "Dress appropriately."

"How could we dress any more scandalously than she does," Kevin muttered looking at the invitation and then looked at Betty. "Did you know about this?"

"No idea," Betty said furrowing her brows, her sister had gotten pregnant by Jason much to the displeasure of the Blossoms and the Coopers, so Polly and Jason concocted a plan to run away and raise the babies by themselves, away from their parents. Neither set of parents were very happy with that and the teenagers where dragged back to Riverdale and set up at the Blossom mansion where they would get married as soon as the babies were born and Polly could fit into the perfect (by mommy Blossoms standards) wedding dress. "Polly didn't even mention it, she could have the babies any day now, do they really think that this is the time for a party like that?"

"Anytime is party time in Cheryl Blossoms calendar," Veronica said shaking her head, in New York she was the Cheryl Blossom of her school but even she can't imagine being as ridiculous as the Blossoms could be.

"Moving back to the new man in your life?" Kevin prodded and Veronica tilted her head and smiled questioningly. "It's not Archie is it? Is that why you told Betty not to go after him? Because you wanted him for yourself?"

"Kev," Betty warned, shaking her head and Veronica took a breath, she hated it when he blindly guessed things and ended up being partially right. "Veronica wouldn't do that, right V?"

"Do you think I would look 'distracted, and not in a good way' if I were somehow with sweet Archie behind everyone's back?" Veronica told him, blatantly ignoring Betty's question and glaring at Kevin who glared right back. "Besides, Archie isn't really your concern, is he?"

"There's something going on with you, you've been acting stranger that usual since we got back from Las Vegas," Kevin told her and Veronica narrowed her eyes. "Did something happen there that we don't know about?"

"Well doesn't this look tense," Josie said when she showed up to the table and almost left because of the tension radiating from Kevin and Veronica. "Where's Jughead and Archie?"

"Lost," Kevin said smiling at Josie when he looked away from Veronica. "How can we help you Josie?"

"My, aren't you frosty this morning," Josie said cocking an eyebrow up. "Veronica, we're performing at the Blossoms event and I have an idea for a song that your voice would fit perfectly with."

"Sounds lovely, I'll see you two later," Veronica said basically jumping out of her seat and hooking her arm with Josie to leave before anyone could protest. "You are fast becoming my savior, is there an actual song or was that just to get me out of there."

"There's a song but you looked like you needed an out and I was more than willing to help out for a favor," Josie said and Veronica raised an eyebrow. "The song was written by your husband so I'm letting you take over the arrangements for it while I work on the other two new songs."

"No, no, no, no," Veronica said stopping and shaking her head, she didn't even bother denying the husband part of that sentence. "Kevin is already on my case about Archie and Betty has asked me to stay away from him."

"They will just have to deal with it," Josie told her patting Veronica's arm. "This is a Josie and the Pussycats production and I need my favorite couple to help the girls and I prepare in time and maybe even perform so I can have a moment between songs to breathe, especially with my dad being there to watch it."

"Josie, I can't," Veronica said shaking her head. "Archie and I ... He told me he loved me and I ran away."

"You what?" Josie said pausing so she could stare at her friend. "Ronnie."

"You know what, I'll make it work, I'll help you with this production because I know how off your game a messed up father can get you," Veronica said and Josie just stared at her as if she hadn't heard anything else Veronica had said.

"Veronica, Archie saying that he loved you is a really big deal," she said her eyes still wide and Veronica nodded. "Especially with this maybe triangle you have going on here with Betty."

"It's not even about Betty anymore, not really," Veronica said blowing out a breath. "It's me, I don't know how to feel, I want to be with him but I know what being with him will do to my friendship with Betty, and I don't want to lose that, I'm not willing to risk her for him, he needs someone who will drop everything for him."

"Have you asked him what he wants?" she asked and Veronica shook her head and continued walking to the music room.

* * *

"Archie, can we talk about yesterday," Veronica whispered when the Pussycats were rehearsing. Veronica and Archie were just listening in because after all their previous performances Josie trusted their judgement with her music.

"I'd rather not," Archie mumbled, he was straddling a chair with his arms crossed on the backrest and his chin resting on top of that, bobbing his leg too fast to be in time with the beat. "I think we've said all we need to say."

"I'm not girlfriend material Archie," she said, she was on the chair next to him, her legs crossed primly and her hands clasped on her lap. Veronica took one hand of her lap and placed it on Archie's knee to stop his leg from moving and Archie's head snapped to her. "I'm not worth destroying a friendship with Betty over and if we had to be anything other than what we are, it will just take her a long time to forgive us, if ever."

"We are married," Archie scoffed, his eyes darting quickly to her hand still on his knee but not making it obvious in case she moved it. "How could we be any more than that?"

"You know what I mean," Veronica shot back, the marriage aspect was temporary and not something she wanted to bring up.

"If the two of you would stop fighting like an old married couple," Josie said winking at them and smiling at her comparison. "Then you can tell me what needs to change in this song, because I've performed it three times today and I know something is wrong but I can't hear it and neither can the girls, we're too close to it."

Archie and Veronica shared a look that said this would be discussed later before Archie placed his hand over Veronica's and moved it off his leg so he could stand up and have a look at the sheet music on Melody's stand.

"Are you making it work?" Josie asked with raised brows and Veronica sighed. "We've only got 4 days, if you mess up my production, I'm publishing your marriage licence."

"Put your claws away Pussycat," Veronica laughed but taking her threat seriously, a stressed Josie is not one to mess with. "Your name is safe from ridicule, Archie and I are nothing if not professional."

"Really?" she said with a smile that Veronica had come to be very suspicious off. "Put your performing shoes on, I'm making you sing a song."

* * *

Veronica can remember the exact moment her feelings for Archie changed, they were in his music room, soundproofed walls and musical instruments scattering the area, blankets on the floor where she was currently sprawled watching him run his fingers over his guitar strings before picking it up gently and sitting down with it.

"Are you going to pursue music in college?" she asked watching him, turning on her side and propping her head up on her hand.

"I want to," he said picking a few notes, before smiling at her lying there in his shirt and her pearls. "I'm just not sure if it's worth it."

"What do you mean?" she asked pushing herself to sitting position.

"I mean, that I'm not sure if it will take me anywhere," he said watching her face fall. "I should do something that I know will guarantee me a job, I don't want to live off my dad for the rest of my life."

"Working for him is also living off him," Veronica argued, she knew what a Business Degree will give him if he had to study that instead. "You can't give up your music."

"I won't, I just won't be getting a formal degree in it," Archie explained, smiling at the determination in her voice. "The only other thing would be to find myself a cougar willing to pay for me to attempt to get into the music industry."

Veronica's eyes narrowed into slits at the reference to his previous teacher who had seduced the redhead and Archie laughed and shook his head. "There are many ways to earn money and pursue a music career I'm sure," Veronica said looking as if she were going to start researching now.

"There's still time Ronnie," he assured her, they were only in their junior year. "I'll figure it out."

"I'll help you," she declared, she wasn't going to let him give up on this, it was too important to him. "Play something for me."

He grinned at her and started picking the strings, it was a song he had been working on since they met, at first he was convinced it was about the teacher he was seeing that had just left town and him but after the song took form, it was obvious that it was only Veronica he could be talking about.

Veronica loved the way the song sounded, he had never sang the words for her, always just played it on the guitar but she could see his lips moving when he really got into it and she wished she knew what he had written about. She had a hard time keeping her eyes off Archie, every single time he sang or played the guitar she loved to watch him, watch him get lost in this part of himself that music held.

It was in that moment that she realized that she had deeper feelings for him than she was willing to admit, when he pulled himself out of his own little world and looked at her so intensely that her breath caught and her emotions stirred up in the pit of her stomach, stronger than she'd ever felt it. He was the best thing in her life, he was the only person she would give herself to completely, the only person she wanted to be everything for. Was that love?

* * *

"I'm surprised you agreed to sing with me," Archie said as they stood off to the side of the stage while Josie and the Pussycats performed. Archie and Veronica were going to have one song in between so the girls could change for their grand finale. "Aren't you worried about what Betty will think?"

"Betty isn't happy about it and Kevin looks as if he's going to burn my favorite heels," Veronica told him, cringing at the bitterness in his voice. They were performing one of Archie's songs, one that they both knew quite well, they rehearsed in front of Josie until she was satisfied and that was it, their contact after that was limited and Veronica didn't know whether to be relieved or hate it. "But Josie can be very convincing."

"Yeah I know," Archie muttered and Veronica shot him an amused smile which broke some of the tension when he smiled back. "We're up."

The song was slow and sweet and all about love. She smiled when he looked at her and almost messed up her words at the look in his eyes but she recovered quick enough, choosing to look out to the crowd for the rest of the song.

As soon as they were done the stage and crowd were blanketed in darkness and they rushed of stage before the single spotlight hit Josie with her back to the crowd, one hand on her hip and the other in the air, ready to end the show.

"I get goose bumps every time they perform this song," Veronica whispered, they were at the edge of the stage again, but out of sight of anyone who would be stupid enough not to watch the performance. Archie put his guitar down and came to stand behind Veronica who instinctively took his hand and wrapped it around her body and he let his chin fall to the top of her head. Their height difference always made her smile.

"I miss being with you," Archie told her and Veronica gripped his hand tighter, he wasn't supposed to be saying this. "I'm serious Ronnie, let's forget what I said the other night and forget what happened in Vegas, I miss just being with you, without all that extra bits hanging above our heads."

"Me too," she replied, feeling him pick his chin of the top of her head only for his forehead to replace it. She missed just being with him as well, even before they started their secret affair they always managed to have fun together, they told each other stupid things that they didn't tell the others. When they became involved, it became more intense, something that neither of them expected, something that was hard to let go and got them into trouble.

"Nice work on getting Reggie to hand Josie that bouquet of flowers," Archie laughed and Veronica smiled and leaned back completely against his body, planning on enjoying being in his arms for as long as she could.

"It was actually his idea," Veronica said chuckling as she remembered Reggie, in all his football glory approaching her with an idea for giving Josie and the Pussycats flowers after their performance and wouldn't it be cool to have the football players handing them out. "Jason and Chuck were volunteered by him as well, if they would get over themselves I would have them together by Halloween."

Veronica felt Archie's body tense and she knew he wanted to make a comment about her trying to get other people together when she refused to even consider them together, but he held his tongue, wanting to keep her in his arms. "You know we performed too, shouldn't we also get flowers?" he asked instead, putting as much fake annoyance as he could into his voice and Veronica giggled.

"I'm sure Cheryl wouldn't mind handing you a bouquet," she teased turning in his arms and bringing her hands up to his cheeks as she would have before. Both of them froze, smiles sliding off their faces as they became aware of their positions and how close their bodies were. Whispers of 'We shouldn't be doing this, we definitely shouldn't be doing this', ringing in their heads but before their lips could meet there was applause and it was brighter that it was a second ago and the lovers jumped apart and rushed to compose themselves while they watched Reggie stumble through handing flowers to Josie.

"Ok which one of you two organized that?" Josie asked laughing once she and the girls reached Archie and Veronica. "I'm guessing you V."

"I will only say that he looked very happy with himself after giving you those flowers," Veronica laughed hugging Josie, the show had gone off as she wanted it, she couldn't find her father in the crowd but she couldn't really find anyone out there so she wasn't upset about it just yet.

"I'm going to change," Josie said looking between them and noticing that there was something going on.

"Well there's this," Archie said picking up a flower that fell from one of the bouquets and clipped it into Veronica's hair with one of her clips. "At least one of us has a flower."

Veronica blushed and Archie gave her a tight smile before exiting the platform and leaving Veronica by herself, smiling after the boy she wanted so badly not to love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally caught up with ff.net, and i fixed my problem of only uploading half of chapter 1, I dont even know how I managed that, I hope you guys enjoy this, please read all off it if you haven't already  
> Until next time (^^,)


	7. Chapter 7

"Happy one-month anniversary," Josie sang when she found Veronica on the bleachers watching the boys. "How's married life treating you?"

"Josie," Veronica exclaimed looking around to find the area around them empty and glared at her friend. "You don't just sneak up on a person while she's watching her team practice, you especially don't announce things like that."

"Relax V, there's no-one here to hear me," Josie said rolling her eyes and sinking into the seat next to Veronica. "Speaking of, where is the rest of the Scooby gang."

"Betty and Jughead are investigating one thing or another, Kevin will probably hate me until he proves he's right about me hiding things from him or Betty gets over Archie enough for him to not care about me anymore, and Archie," Veronica said picking up the take-away coffee she brought to school that morning. "Is right there next to the hunk you came here to check out."

"Would you stop," Josie said rolling her eyes but Veronica could see her little embarrassed smile fighting to come through.

"Only when you do," Veronica shrugged. "Are you performing at the game tomorrow?"

"Yes, but not at the after-party," Josie said and Veronica nodded, that was the usual arrangement, Josie and the Pussycats wanted to enjoy themselves without having to worry about performing. "Should I perform a song for you and Archikins? What song was playing at your wedding?"

"Probably some Elvis song," Veronica laughed, she could fight Josie about never speaking about this or she could just play along until it was all over. "There's only 6 months left till my birthday, 4 months till Archie's."

"What if you stayed married?" Josie asked and Veronica raised her eyebrow in question, waiting for the singer to continue. "I mean, you guys are probably going to get married in a couple years anyway so why not save yourself the legal fees and paperwork and stay married."

"What if we meet other people?" Veronica asked challenging this ridiculous idea Josie had. "The things we think will last forever in high school very rarely do."

"Now you sound like my Nana who is a very lovely but not all there lady," Josie laughed. "I have a feeling that you and Archie will be the exception to all the rules, you guys have been through too much to not end up together."

"Look at that face," Veronica said looking out onto the field to Archie, who periodically looked back to her to make sure she was still there. "We don't have any idea where our futures will take us, I don't want to stop him from being great."

"Why do you keep assuming that you are not perfect for him or that you won't push him to be great?" Josie asked, furrowing her brows slightly, Veronica Lodge was the most confidant person until it came to her relationship with Archie Andrews, then she turned into a doubtful, insecure girl. "V, that boy loves you, he wants to be with you, give it a chance, if you're still unsure by your 18th birthday then go through with the divorce, but if you guys are together I think that you will be the Haley and Nathan of our little Riverdale."

"Are we still on that One Tree Hill reference?" Veronica laughed, looking out onto the field at Archie who was looking back with a fondness on his face that made her want to hide him from the world.

"Yes, they're the only couple I know who got married in High School, I could start with Glee but they only planned the wedding, it didn't actually happen and I refuse to compare this to Britney," Josie told her and Veronica snorted, Josie's couples weren't giving her much hope. "I can see what you're thinking and yes, Haley and Nathan had alot of problems but they came out stronger in the end."

"I think you have a very different idea of teenage marriage than I do," Veronica laughed and Josie pouted, she was a hopeless romantic at heart.

"Who's getting married?" Jughead asked as he, Kevin and Betty joined the girls and Veronica's eyes went wide but Josie didn't even miss a beat and smiled at them.

"We were talking about One Tree Hill's Haley and Nathan, and finding someone that you'd want to spend the rest of your life with when you're as young as we are," Josie said with a deep sigh, Jughead just raised an eyebrow and grunted, obviously not agreeing.

"I'd probably wait until I was 18 but it would be nice to have someone to be so sure off now," Betty agreed looking for Archie on the field and Veronica shared a look with Josie to say that this was why she couldn't just be with Archie.

"What about you Veronica," Kevin asked, Veronica knew he was watching her reactions for something so she smiled and looked out onto the field straight at Archie, even though from their perspective she could be looking at anyone.

"I would tell you that you were crazy but if I had to find the right person now who could convince me to marry him," she said smirking slightly as Archie met her eyes again and Josie nudged her from the side. "Then who am I to snub young love."

* * *

Veronica and the vixens waited with bated breath watching as Archie stepped up to take the free kick that would decide the outcome of the first game of the year. Veronica looked out into the silent crowd, she knew there were scouts already watching the boys on the team especially Archie, Chuck, Jason and Reggie.

Archie turned his head toward them after coach Clayton gave him a quick pep talk and caught her eye, Veronica nodded slowly and smiled, her heart beating a mile a minute as he started running. She shut her eyes and crossed her fingers when he kicked the ball, opening one eye to actually watch what happened.

Veronica didn't know why she ever doubted him, the free kick sailed easily to where it was supposed to go and the Riverdale crowd erupted in cheers. The cheerleaders did their victory cheer, as Josie and the Pussycats played their last song of the night, Veronica had just looked away from the crowd to see Betty jump into Archie's arms and the brightest smile on his face. She turned to Josie who shrugged and continued to sing.

"I thought they weren't talking?" Cheryl said stepping up next to Veronica to watch Betty with Archie and some of the other cheerleaders who had run out to the players on the field.

"Me too," Veronica said adjusting her headband and clearing her throat. "But they are best friends, that was bound to change."

"Of course," Cheryl said in a tone that implied she was holding something back and Veronica turned and raised her brows questioningly as if to ask what Cheryl really wanted to say. "I just want to know how an ice princess like yourself can look at best friends reuniting like you're going to set them on fire."

"I don't know what you're talking about Bombshell, you're the fire-starter, I'm the ice-queen," Veronica said, berating herself for not hiding her feelings all that well. "I'm glad they're finally talking again, maybe then I can stop walking on eggshells around them."

Cheryl didn't say anything, she just smirked and walked away leaving Veronica to her own thoughts, she looked up after a moment to see Archie and Betty still hugging each other. Archie looked up and Veronica held his gaze for a second, looked to the back of Betty's hair in front him before sighing and walking away. The day she ended their friends with benefits deal coming to the forefront of her mind.

* * *

"So he just broke up with you?" Veronica asked slurping on her milkshake and Betty nodded, they were just waiting for the boys to show up but Betty had informed all of them that her relationship with the Greendale quarterback was over and that they'd never see him again because it was the end of the school year and he was moving away for collage. "Because he's moving away? That doesn't sound right, it's not like he's moving across the country, it's not like he's going to be that much further away from you that he won't be able to make the trip to Riverdale every 2 weeks."

Betty looked around as if double checking that the boys weren't there before sighing. "He broke up with me because he said that he knew I wasn't over Archie and we had a huge fight over it," Betty told Veronica. "And the thing is V, I think he's right, I've never truly gotten over Archie."

"What are you going to do now?" Veronica asked, needing to clear her throat because she was sure that Betty was over Archie when things with Zeke started getting serious and that was when she and Archie began their midnight meetings, as she liked to call them, but now that this relationship was over and Betty was still in love with Archie, how could Veronica even think about changing her relationship with Archie to be a real, public relationship instead of the secret, casual fling that it was supposed to be.

"I don't know, I mean I'll probably just take some time to myself to get over it," Betty laughed sadly and Veronica reached out to take her friends hand. "Eat a tub of ice-cream and cry."

"And your feelings for Archie?" Veronica prompted, needing to know.

"It is very possible that I have been fooling myself this whole time about being over Archie," Betty said with a shrug. "We're going to Las Vegas in two weeks, so I'm just going to pull myself together by then and have the most amazing time there and then when we get back I'll figure it out."

"That's the spirit B," Veronica laughed and Betty nodded and laughed along with her. In the midst of a bad breakup, Betty Cooper had a plan.

"The boys are here," Betty gasped watching Kevin, Jughead and Archie enter the diner and before Veronica even looked up to see them Betty was already in Archie's arms, gripping onto him and Veronica knew that the chances of Betty not being in love with Archie was slim to nothing.

"So they are," Veronica mumbled to herself, watching as Jughead and Kevin went to the counter to place their orders before joining Veronica at her booth and watching Betty and Archie talk.

"Say what you want but I always knew that they would end up together," Kevin said almost dreamily and Jughead raised an eyebrow, reaching out to grab some of the fries the girls ordered earlier.

"She literally just broke up with someone," Jughead laughed popping the fries into his mouth. "Calm down there, Cupid."

"Ok but do you see how he's holding her right now?" Kevin asked throwing an arms out to Archie and Betty at the door and Jughead looked back at them and shrugged, he didn't see what Kevin saw, he just saw one friend comforting the other.

As Kevin began ranting about the reasons and signs that Archie and Betty should be together and would be together Veronica tuned him out, she didn't want anymore proof that the boy she thought she might love belonged to her best friend. Betty wasn't going to realize that her feelings are platonic especially not when they stood in front of Veronica looking like they were on the cusp of starting something real. And Archie ... Veronica didn't really know where he stood with his feelings for Betty.

"I'm going to go," Veronica said suddenly grabbing her bag and standing up, realizing belatedly that she said that in the middle of someone's sentence and that Betty and Archie had joined them and were sitting across from her together, with Betty's head on his chest and everyone turned to stare at her so she smiled. "My parents have that meeting in New York and they want me to go with them so I have an early start."

"Yeah, my dad said something about that," Archie piped in when the other's looked at Veronica a little confused, he was watching her with his eyebrows furrowed. "He said Hiram thought you'd want to visit your old city."

"I just want to stroll down Madison Avenue with a Frappuccino and a couple of shopping bags full of things from my favorite stores," Veronica said with a smile and Kevin sighed next to her, how he wishes he could do just that. "I will see you guys when I get back."

Veronica told Betty to call her if she needed to talk and then almost sprinted out of Pop's, she had just reached the car where Andre was waiting for her when someone grabbed her hand and she gaped and turned ready to beat them with her handbag.

"Archie," she said breathlessly, putting her hand over her chest and waving Andre back into the car when he got out to see if she were ok. "What's wrong?"

"That's what I came to ask you," he said his hands coming down to cup both her elbows. "You ran out of there really fast, your flight tomorrow isn't early enough."

"We have to stop," Veronica said blinking up at him, hoping that her eyes didn't look glassy.

"Stop what?" he asked furrowing his brows, gripping her elbows just a little bit tighter as if to stop her from saying the words.

"This arrangement that we have going on," Veronica said clearing her throat and clenching her jaw.

"Just because Betty broke up with her boyfriend?" Archie asked incredulously.

"Yes," Veronica said frustrated at his confused face. "That is exactly why, she's going to be watching you and she's still into you, this should end before we hurt her, after all there's no feelings right?"

"No," Archie said after a moment dropping his arms to his side, his face as blank as she hoped hers was. "No feelings."

"Exactly, so everything can just go back to the way it was," she said forcing a carefully carefree smile onto her face, hoping that he believed that this didn't hurt her at all and hoping beyond everything else that he was not in as much pain as she was. "I'll see you when I get back Archikins."

"Enjoy New York, Ronnie," he said softly after a moment, his voice without emotion.

Veronica got into the car telling Andre to drive and watching Archie, standing there defeated in the rear view mirror, only allowing her emotions to take over and the tears to fall when he was out of sight.

She knew that it would hurt when their arrangement ended, but the fear of not knowing what being with him was like, far outweighed the fear of being hurt by the fallout.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry its taken me so long to update, I've been wanting to but I've just been so exhausted, work is just getting worse and so for the next month at least I wont be getting any writing done, which means slow updates, which again, I'm so sorry
> 
> This chapter is one that I split up and I am very nervous about, I love it because I know where I'm going with it but I don't know how you guys are going to feel about it ... This chapter does bring us to the end of our flashbacks because just after this the kids go to Vegas. This flashback gives us the end of Veronica and Archie's friends with benefits, no feeling arrangement, it gives us more of why Veronica's reluctant to be with Archie publicly and her fears regarding his relationship with Betty, because no matter what he say to her, she's always afraid of his feelings changing or being confused for something else
> 
> With all that said, please let me know what you think, also OMG how perfect are Varchie on the show? I love every single perfect scene we get with them and KJ and Camilla have such amazing chemistry
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


	8. Chapter 8

Veronica spent the week after that game avoiding everyone who looked her way. Josie was getting frustrated, just because Archie and Betty were now all of a sudden inseparable again was no reason for her friend to just give up and start hiding from everyone.

Veronica still showed up to class and cheer leading practice but she was never anywhere that she knew Betty and Archie would be together or she'd be alone with just them. Josie could see Archie and Betty steadily becoming more worried about her and to be honest Josie was starting to panic as well because Veronica hadn't confided in her yet like she had been doing for the last few months.

"Finally," Josie exclaimed startling Veronica and herself when she heard her own panicked voice. "You have some explaining to do."

"What are you talking about?" Veronica asked furrowing an eyebrow and looking around them to see if anyone had heard Josie's outburst. "What explaining?"

Josie sighed and took a seat next to Veronica. "The last time when you said you were going to hide in the library I didn't actually expect that you would."

"I know, that's what makes the library so sacred," Veronica told her grinning and then closing her books and turning to face Josie because she knew that there was no way she was going to be able to go back to her homework right now.

"Why are you hiding here? Everyone's getting worried and I haven't looked for you because I thought you needed some alone time but now I'm worried V, what's going on?" Josie asked reaching out to take her friends hands and then gasping. "Oh."

"Really, Oh?" Veronica laughed and shook her head at Josie. "That's what I told Archie when I found that on my hand and not on his."

"So you're wearing your wedding ring and hiding from everyone because..." Josie asked prompting Veronica to fill in the blanks.

"I just saw Archie and Betty together at the game the other night and I remembered them just after her breakup and I just realized how fake this marriage of ours is and why it has to end," Veronica said looking down at her hands to the ring on her finger, pulling it off and putting it in her pocket with a sigh. "I didn't really want to see them as a couple just yet."

"Wait, who told they were a couple?" Josie asked and Veronica had to smile at the frustration in her friends voice. "And why are you so convinced that it's true."

"Cheryl casually dropped it into conversation at the after party along with pictures of them together and not at the party where the rest of us where," Veronica said sighing and pulling her hands out of Josie's so she could drop her head to the table on top of her hands. "And I'm 'convinced' because this was the other shoe that needed to drop."

"So you left that party early and decided you knew what actually happened," Josie asked looking particularly annoyed with the redhead. "Betty and Archie aren't together, I don't know what Cheryl was going to get out of telling you that but they are not together."

"Really, because every time I see them they're very close and Kevin has that smug look on his face like he's won a contest," Veronica ranted and then stopped and took a breath. "I just needed a break."

"What you need is to look at what's happening and not just the parts you think you want to see," Josie told her. "Archie is worried about you, Reggie says he can barely concentrate on anything, he just keeps watching the Vixens so he can see you."

"Reggie says?" Veronica teased and Josie glared, not the time. "He could just as easily be searching for Betty."

"V, stop it, this is torture," Josie told her frowning. "You know that Archie loves you, the whole reason I started supporting you and Archie was because I saw it, fight for him, or at least let him fight for you."

Veronica didn't say anything, she just took a deep breath and nodded at Josie who smiled, it was time for her to go after what she wanted, there would be consequences but once those were dealt with there would be the rest of her life laid out in front of them if only she would accept it.

* * *

It was 2 days later at somebody's birthday party in a clearing in the middle of the forest, with a bonfire, beer and music that Archie decided he was going to force Veronica to talk to him. Archie had been with the guys for most of the night, having celebratory drinks for their first win of the year since he had been with Betty the night they won and watching the girls with no sign of Veronica. Josie had caught his eye earlier and shook her head to say that she hadn't seen the raven haired beauty either so either she had skipped this party or she was avoiding him.

He knew it was the latter, she had a way of catching his eye and avoiding it according to what she wanted.

Betty had surprised him after the game by hugging him in the middle of the field, after such a long time of not talking it was good to have her not hate him which was why they skipped the after party and went to Pops like they did before she told him her feelings. He knew how she still felt, she'd made that clear to him when they were talking and he didn't want to hurt her but she was not the girl he was in love with, and he made that clear to her, it would still be a while before they were how they had been before but at least now all their feelings were on the table, well almost all.

That had been a week ago and he knew Veronica saw him with Betty and he knew what she was thinking but she wouldn't answer his calls or texts and she literally sprinted in another direction when she saw him at school. He saw Betty watching him from her place by Kevin and some of the other Vixens and he smiled at her but didn't go to her, tonight was only about Veronica, if he could just find her.

"Come with me," Reggie told him gripping Archie's arm and pulling him further into the woods away from the rest of the people.

"What's happening Reg?" Archie asked clearing his throat when he sounded a little slurred, he wasn't that drunk, he tried to stay as sober as possible for when he finally found Veronica, he knew she'd be there, Josie assured him of that.

"Just doing you a favour," Reggie said pushing him to the rocks by the water and Archie resisted and stared at Reggie, by Reggie's standards he was pretty sober himself. "I'm not going to push you in, stop looking at me like that."

"Then what are we doing here," Archie asked walking toward the secluded cluster of rocks that Reggie was pointing to. "I love you bro but I don't swing that way."

"Neither do I, idiot," Reggie laughed and punched Archie's arm. "Josie should be around here somewhere."

"You brought me here to be lookout when you make out with Josie?" Archie asked confused and Reggie gave him an annoyed look.

"I brought you here so I have a chance to make out with Josie," Reggie replied and Archie just got even more confused.

"Huh?" he asked staring at his friend like he had a second head. Reggie just shook his head and grinned when he spotted Josie just ahead of them.

"Here he is Josie," Reggie said loudly grinning like a kid in a candy store and Josie rolled her eyes taking the hand that Reggie offered her with a shy little smile.

"I think you're needed on the rocks," Josie told him and Reggie pushed him blindly in the general direction.

"Oh," Archie whispered, not even noticing where Reggie and Josie disappeared, his eyes were focused on Veronica who was watching him curiously. "Hey there Houdini."

"Houdini?" Veronica asked reaching her hands out for Archie to grasp.

"You've been pulling disappearing acts this whole week," he explained pulling her closer to him. "You've been avoiding me."

"I know," she said wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest just above his heart. "I thought you wanted time with Betty without me reminding you of ... this."

"I'm always reminded about 'this'," he said laughing at her annoyance for not finding the correct words to describe what they were, if she were drunk he would have teased her but she was as sober as he was. "What is happening Ronnie, we've barely spoken since everything that happened in Vegas and you've been avoiding me like crazy especially this last week, I'm just really lost."

"I know Archikins, me too," she said tilting her head back to look up at his face and Archie bumped their noses together, taking advantage of holding her in his arms again since the night they sang together. "Josie arranged this so that we could be together for a bit, she convinced Reggie to get you here but I think she just wanted some alone time with him as well without anyone knowing."

"Nice little plan the two of you concocted," Archie laughed, they were two very confused couples that wanted to be together but didn't want the public weighing in on them just yet. "Do you want to tell me what's going on with you?"

"I saw you with Betty, that night at the game," Veronica said, dropping her eyes from his to his chest where she was picking at his shirt. "And then Cheryl showed me some pretty interesting pictures of the two of you ditching the after party for some alone time at Pop's so I just thought…"

"That Betty jumped into my arms and I immediately jumped ship?" Archie asked and Veronica nodded, her eyes darting up to meet his before falling back to her hands. "Betty wanted to talk and I wanted my best friend back but I meant what I said that night, I love you Ronnie, that means that I am yours and no-one else's, whether you want me or not."

"I do Archie," she whispered, nodding her head and then pressing her lips together. "I don't want those feelings for Betty that you say you don't have to come bubbling up because I know I can't win against her, I know that, you share too much history and things in common and I don't know how to be a girlfriend, or a wife, or anything that you'd want in your future."

"Ronnie," Archie groaned, cupping her face in his hands and tilting her head up to look at him. "You are what I want in my future, with or without this marriage thing, the day you walked into my life any other people or feelings were replaced by you and my feelings for you, I don't know what idea of a girlfriend you have in your head but I want who you are."

"You know you are saying all the right things right now," Veronica said, blushing in the dark as he backed them up against a tree so she could lean against it and he could place his hands on the trunk of the tree at either side of her waist.

"Stop thinking about other people, tell me what you want, if you didn't have to think about anyone else," he asked leaning in as close to her as possible. "What do you want Ronnie?"

Veronica didn't say anything, she just reached up and kissed him, for the first time since Las Vegas, her hands going around him and underneath his jacket and shirt to lightly scratch down his back. If Betty's feelings weren't involved, if Kevin wouldn't disown her, if Jughead wouldn't side with Betty and leave Archie, what would she want, what would the old Veronica want, honestly she couldn't think like that, the New York Veronica wouldn't care about a relationship, she would just want a quick fling with a gorgeous boy to add to her list of boys people were jealous of her for having and drop the boy before he had a chance to drop her. Riverdale Veronica wanted stability, she wanted something that was going to last. "I want you," she said answering his question and the one in her head.

"I'm yours," he told her, he felt like he was repeating himself but he had to, she needed to understand that he was serious, with the life that she had before he met her, he knew she didn't have people who promised to stay in her life and actually did so he needed to convince her that he wasn't going to let her down.

"We're doing this, for real?" Veronica asked softly and Archie nodded with a smile on his face. "We have to tell Betty."

"We will, tomorrow," he said and Veronica giggled and nodded pushing her hands into the front of his jacket to touch the warm muscle on his chest.

"Hey lovebirds, times up," Josie called out and Veronica pressed a last lingering kiss to his lips before rushing out toward Josie's voice.

"So you and Veronica?" Reggie asked with disbelief in his voice after Archie walked up to him and Archie blushed and nodded.

"You and Josie," Archie replied grinning, he wasn't too worried about Reggie saying anything, not when the boy wanted his relationship with Josie to be kept secret as well. "Don't play games with her man," Archie said knowing Reggie's ways and feeling protective over Josie.

"Don't plan on," Reggie told him seriously and Archie slapped his shoulder and pushed him forward so they could walk back to the party.


	9. Chapter 9

The day Polly and Jason's twins were born, Veronica walked into the main lounge fully dressed for the day to go to the hospital and meet them and keep Betty company, only to find Fred and Archie Andrews sitting on the couches talking to her father.

Veronica narrowed her eyes at them slightly and slowed down her walking, it wasn't uncommon for the Andrews to be in her house because Fred and her parents were business partners but Archie almost never tagged along, especially not when Betty's sister had just had her babies and they were expected there, them agreeing to be in a relationship wouldn't change that. Archie shrugged when she looked to him and her father caught the movement and turned to see her.

"Ah, Mija, come join us," Hiram Lodge said patting the seat next to him, Veronica looked from her father to the Andrews suspiciously before sitting on the couch across from him instead. "I was just telling Fred and Archie here how different you are since our move from New York."

"Excruciating circumstances can cause a person to change daddy," Veronica shot back, looking pointedly at her father. The reason she was changed, the reason they moved to Riverdale was because of him and his illegal doings.

"Hiram our guest is here," Hermione told them, following the maid in with tea for everyone.

"Wonderful, Archie and I will leave you to your business," Veronica said standing and tugging on Archie's arm to pull him up as well, she did not have a good feeling about this. "We have places to be, twins to see."

"Veronica sit down," Hiram commanded, not looking at her but leaning forward to pour himself his tea and then look to Fred and offer to pour his as well. Veronica froze and Archie just watched her, unsure of what to do, he was terrified of her father especially now that the man was his father-in-law.

"Mom?" Archie asked confused when his mother walked into the room, she smiled at him and touched his face in greeting before saying hello to everyone else. Veronica and Archie looked at each other confused and very concerned, their parent's knew.

Archie and Veronica sat down together and looked at their parents who were giving them various states of emotions on their faces. Hiram looked angry, Hermione had her poker face on, Veronica couldn't tell what she was thinking, Fred looked concerned and Mary was smiling reassuringly at the teens.

"Yesterday I had a very interesting phone call with my financial adviser," Hiram began, taking a sip of his tea and clearing his throat and Veronica reached over and grabbed Archie's hand without looking away from her father. "He told me that there was a little discrepancy with Veronica's trust fund and that she was entitled to that money which of course I said was ridiculous because that trust fund was untouchable until Veronica turned 21 or the day she got married, whichever came first."

"I think you know where your father is going with this," Hermione said placing a hand on Hiram's shoulder.

"Funny thing is, you never forget the day your child is born, I'm quite certain that my only child is 17 and no, she was not married," Hiram continued finally turning to Veronica who had Archie's hand in such a tight grip that he could feel the bones grinding together. "But then he asks if I wanted a copy of the Marriage certificate, so of course I said yes and then immediately called my son-in law's father."

"I would have told Hiram that he was losing his mind and he needed to find someone else to play games with, in fact I think those were my exact words but then he sent me that certificate and guess who's name I see next to his daughters?" Fred said continuing from Hiram. "Archibald Andrews, now is the time I wish I gave you a middle name so this sounded more threatening."

"His name is just fine," Mary interjected. "Would the two of you like to explain to us exactly what this is?" she asked placing a copy of their marriage license on the table in front of them.

Archie and Veronica looked to each other, Archie could see the panic in her glazed eyes and cleared his throat. "When we went to Las Vegas we might have gotten married."

"There is no 'might' about this," Hiram said raising his voice, standing and pointing to the paper on the table. "That is a legal document, that means that it definitely happened, that you and Veronica are now husband and wife," he told them walking away toward the fireplace and Veronica whimpered and pressed her lips together in an attempt to keep her emotions in. "What was your plan? Were you just going to pretend like this didn't happen? That this affected only you?"

"With all due respect sir this does only concern Veronica and I," Archie said and then cringed when Veronica shook her head to tell him that was not the right thing to say.

"Boy, that is my daughter, she is a minor, that means that she needed my permission for this to happen, how you got around that I do not know but you are not getting out of this as easily as you got in," Hiram said dangerously and then turned to walk right up to Archie who stood to meet him. "What makes you think that you are worth having my daughter as your wife? That you are good enough for her?"

"Stop it," Veronica warned standing and wedging herself between them, pushing her father away when he grabbed Archie's collar and then reaching back to grab Archie's fists and keep them there. "He didn't force me into this and he is better than any other person you could possibly think of."

"Hiram," Fred warned as well turning to glare at his business partner, he understood that the man was angry but he would not let him speak to Archie that way or touch him.

"Archie," Mary Andrews began and then sighed at the distraught teens as Hermione shot a warning look at her husband to either calm down or leave the room. "What were you two thinking? Why didn't you come to us when this happened?"

"Tell us what happened, start at the beginning," Hermione said and Veronica could see that she was struggling to keep her voice as calm as it was.

"When we went to Las Vegas we had fake ID's," Veronica said clearing her throat and looking at her mother because she couldn't look at her father right now and Hermione's face didn't betray any emotion which made it easier for Veronica. "So that we could enjoy everything that Vegas had to offer, the second last night a few of us decided we wanted to do karaoke so we left the group to find a bar that had it, I don't remember much else after that except that we woke up in Archie's room and we were married."

"We spoke to a judge before we left Nevada and he said we could either get our parents to state that you did not approve this to a judge in a court or we could wait until we were 18 and go through the legal system ourselves," Archie told them looking down worriedly at Veronica whose voice was monotone and carrying on from her story. "Veronica and I thought that we could keep this a secret until we were both 18 and then we'd start the process of getting divorced and no-one but we would have to know."

"Oh baby, you should have told us," Mary said looking from her son to her ex-husband who nodded.

"You shouldn't have gotten married in the first place," Hiram gritted out turning away from everyone and pacing his hands on the mantle above the fireplace and leaned heavily on it, muttering things to himself in Spanish.

"It's done now, they are married," Hermione hissed at her husband and then turned to the teens and Archie's parents. "Now that we know, we should see what the best way forward is, we should probably speak to a judge and see if we can get this marriage dissolved, with statements from all of us we should be able to make it disappear," she told them calmly and then narrowed her eyes slightly at her daughter who hadn't dropped her protective stance in front of Archie. "There isn't anything else we need to make disappear, is there?"

"What," Veronica started to ask but then saw her mothers eyes dart to her stomach before gasping and throwing an arm across her body. "No, I am not pregnant but thank you for letting me know what your reaction would be if I were."

"There are certain things that would ruin your life at this age Veronica and a pregnancy would be one of them," Hermione snapped at her daughter, who she felt wasn't seeing the repercussions of her actions, Hiram went still behind her at the thought of Veronica being pregnant but he was silent and for that she was grateful.

"I hope the both of you realize your mistakes," Fred told them before Veronica could respond. "We will try to sort this out but you need to understand that this is not a little thing, you can't get drunk and get married in Vegas and not have it have consequences."

"No, there's always consequences and lessons," Hiram said and turned back to everyone and Veronica's body tensed next to Archie. "They're basically adults, they want to be adults, so let us let them be adults."

"What are you talking about Hiram?" Hermione asked curiously, she was not sure she liked how calm he was.

"They need to learn Hermione," Hiram said crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Fred, Mary, I suggest that they stick to their original plan and sort this mess out themselves once they're adults."

"You mean get divorced in a couple months instead of us dissolving this marriage now?" Fred asked furrowing his brows a little frustrated at Hiram and trying to follow his logic. "I don't think a few months of this status change is going to make a difference, I'd feel better if we just sorted it all out now."

"Of course it would be easier and it would make us feel better but the only way for these two to fully understand what they've done is if they live out the rest of their married lives together as husband and wife, without us," he said and everyone else in the room looked to him confused so he elaborated. "There's an empty house the Lodge industries owns, it's yours now, consider it a wedding present, you wanted to get through this marriage without us, your wish is granted."

"Daddy," Veronica gasped, her eyes going wide at what her father was suggesting.

"You want them to live together? Alone? Hiram they are children," Hermione said fighting this, she did not want her daughter across town, living with another teenager, they were only in high school, what did they know about taking care of themselves, especially when she was already concerned about prematurely becoming a grandmother. "They are not ready for this."

"They should have thought of that before they decided to get married," he said, his earlier anger gone and his business face on.

"You wouldn't," Veronica said staring down her father, she was still standing in front of Archie, her hands out to her sides, still protecting him in case her father decided to attack him again.

"Watch me," Hiram said and then walked out of the room. Hermione watched after him for a moment debating on whether to follow him or not but ultimately decided that her daughter was more important and turned back to Veronica, pulling the girl to hug her and sitting them both down onto the couch.

"Considering everything, Hiram might have a point," Fred said, placing his hands on his hips and sighing tiredly. Mary who was now next to Archie rubbing his back soothingly, looked up at Fred to explain himself. "As much as I don't like the idea of you being away from me right now, the best way for you to learn from what you've done is for you to live together, then maybe next time you're in Vegas you'll think twice about getting drunk and getting married."

"We can't live together, we don't want to be married at 17, the only reason we are still married is because we can't do anything about it until we're 18," Veronica said and Archie knew she was already hyperventilating about how this day has been turning out. "No-one even knows that there is anything romantic between us except Josie and maybe Reggie."

"Yeah, this is a little extreme don't you think," Archie asked, turning to his mother for support.

"Fred, we can't let them live together, we can remove this marriage and let them start a fresh, let them start dating and go from there," Mary tried, her son was only 17, this was not what she wanted for him right now. "And then when they're ready, if they're together they can get married properly."

"Archie, Veronica, you are both almost adults, as much as we want to clean up your messes and protect you, we need you to learn from these mistakes," Fred told them. "You need to understand what a marriage is and why we look down on underage drunk marriages, I hope you know how unhappy all of us are with you."

Fred gave them one more look and walked out of the room, presumably to find Hiram and plan this move.

"We'll talk to your fathers, but I doubt we'll get them to see any reason," Hermione said getting up.

"You two should probably start planning how you're going to break the news to everyone," Mary said touching her daughter-in laws arm when Veronica stood up as well before following Hermione out of the room.

"What are we doing to them?" Hermione asked when she and Mary got to the doors, both mothers looked back into the room to see Archie gather Veronica up in his arms and was whispering things to her. Hermione tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes slightly at the sight of her daughter gripping Archie as if he were the only thing keeping her from completely falling apart, there was a vulnerability to Veronica that she'd never seen before.

"Maybe we're pushing them in the right direction," Mary mused and Hermione looked up at her curiously. "There is more going on there than just a mistake in Vegas, the next few months will test that, maybe that will make them strong enough to weather anything life throws at them, at the very least it will give them some alone time to figure it out."

"Perhaps," Hermione sighed eventually, smiling softly at the teens wrapped up in each other, it reminded her of herself and Fred in a time before Hiram and Mary, when they thought they could make it. "I just hope we aren't setting them up for failure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the late update, this week has been long and hard, I am exhausted, so yey to me for actually editing this and posting it today lol but I know what it's like when you're waiting for a story to update and it takes forever so I'll try to be better
> 
> So other people finally know about Archie and Veronica, but just not Betty, just when they get their acts together and become a couple their parents come in to mess with their heads again, I feel like Hiram could have been a lot worse but I can't seem to write him that way, I love the Lodge family, and I just can't make myself write them in a way where I would hate them
> 
> I love how this chapter turned out and I hope that you guys love it as well, please review and let me know what you think
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


	10. Chapter 10

Archie and Veronica sat on their new couch in their new house later that night staring at a blank wall in front of them. Fred dropped them off with the keys and boxes that both sets of parents packed for them and assurances that they were welcome to go to the Andrews or the Lodges if they ever needed anything.

Since it was so late they unpacked the bare minimum and sat down on the couch staring at the blank space that the TV from Archie's room would probably go. The house had just the essentials and Archie knew that he and Veronica would struggle without the luxuries they had at their parents' houses.

They ended up going to the hospital to see Polly and Jason's twins after the confrontation at the Pembrooke, Veronica decided that they had to pretend like everything was normal because she wasn't ready for anything else to change just yet. She and Archie both realized that telling their friends that they were in a relationship would have to wait for another time, when both of them were not recovering from their parents decisions. On the outside they were calm, but Archie could see the storm brewing behind Veronica's eyes every time he caught her gaze.

Mary, Veronica assumed, had gotten them groceries and toiletries so they wouldn't be completely unprepared for the days ahead but if they wanted anything else Veronica knew her parents would tell them her trust-fund would fund it, seeing as she accessed it ahead of time.

"I can take the couch," Archie said after a little while of just staring at the wall and Veronica turned to him and blinked out of her stupor. "It's strange, how many times we've slept with each other, yet we don't really know what it's like to just sleep next to each other."

"I'm not making you sleep on the couch, Archie," Veronica said snorting at his observation. They hadn't shared a bed since Vegas, they had only really agreed to try dating the night before, this was definitely going to be interesting. "We can share a bed innocently, I'm sure, go to sleep, it has been a long day."

"What about you?" he asked standing up and holding a hand out to her but Veronica shook her head.

"I need another minute," she said, smiling when his outstretched hand cupped her cheek and held it there for a second before he disappeared into the only furnished room in the house.

When she was completely alone, staring at the blank wall, all of the emotions from the day and the last 2 months, emotions she had been pushing as far away as she could get them, came rushing in. For a second she felt as if she couldn't breathe, she was gulping in air in an effort to fill her lungs, she was sure she was having a panic attack. Her vision was cloudy from the tears and her throat was tingling, everything just seemed to hit her at once and she didn't know how to make it stop, now was not the time to break down, especially not with Archie just a room away.

The disappointment and anger in her parents eyes for getting herself into this mess, Mary and Fred's frustration at them for making this mistake when they knew they did everything they could to help them make proper decisions. Every possible reaction her friends might have to her and Archie now living together and the reason behind it, everything was so calm at the hospital, so easy, how it would all change once they knew. Everything wrong with this marriage through the eyes of the people closest to them.

And then there was Archie, her sweet Archie, Veronica was sure her father wanted to beat him to a pulp and if Veronica hadn't stepped in between them he probably would have drawn blood before anyone could separate them. Archie, who was so sure of her, who wanted to give this relationship a chance, without a care for the consequences, who looked at this drunken thing that they did in Las Vegas as if it were something that he'd wanted, something good.

All these days she'd been telling herself it was just a marriage, a simple piece of paper, it meant nothing, as soon as they were 18 they could get rid of it and neither of them would have to think about it again. The problem was that it was so much more, that legal piece of paper meant that she belonged to someone and someone belonged to her and that they were supposed to use that sense of belonging to conquer anything thrown their way.

Suddenly her mind was clear and her eyes were shut and she was warm, gripping Archie's arms as he cradled her to his chest.

"Hey," Archie whispered when he broke apart from her to look at her face, she opened her eyes slowly to see him looking at her worriedly. "I was wondering when you were going to actually crack, you've been on the edge the whole day, you need to breathe."

"Breathe," Veronica repeated because that she should probably continue doing.

"Yeah, breathe," he whispered, rubbing her back gently. "Today was interesting."

"Today was a disaster Archikins," she said with a slight laugh at his attempt to distract her and then attempted to correct her croaky voice by clearing her throat. "Our parents staged an intervention."

"Quite smart of them if you ask me," Archie laughed. "I did not see that coming."

"No-one saw that coming," Veronica groaned putting her hands over her face. "I can't believe they flew your mother to Riverdale, I can't believe I forgot about my trust fund's rules."

"Does us being married mean half of that is mine?" Archie joked and Veronica smiled and rolled her eyes, he was probably the only person who could make her smile when she felt as defeated as she did. "There's only about 5 months till your birthday, I think we can manage this and then I suppose once we're not married anymore we'll move back home until we leave for collage."

"Sounds like the only plan we have," Veronica conceded. "Although after all this is over I'm not moving back there unless they drag me back like they kicked me out today."

"Do you know how to cook?" Archie suddenly asked, diverting the conversation away from her parents and Veronica made an angry growling sound. "I know a little, we should be able to get by."

"Archie, how is this going to work, we don't know how to cook, or do laundry or sort out whatever bills we accumulate from living here," Veronica groaned. "We're not supposed to be worrying about this yet, we're still in high school."

"I know," Archie said standing and tugging her up with him so they could walk to the room. "I know you're against talking to your parents right now but my parents will help us, I promise we'll get through this."

"This has just gotten so much bigger than we thought it would," Veronica whispered and Archie nodded, it wasn't just them in a relationship anymore, it was them moving in together before they were ready for it, it was the whole concept of a teenage marriage that was now a real problem.

"You feeling any better?" he asked once they were in the room and getting into bed.

"No, not really," she said pressing herself as close to him as possible, his warmth against her was keeping her sane. "Just stay with me."

"As if I'm going to let you go," he joked and pressed the smallest of kisses to the top of her head. "Go to sleep, I've got you."

* * *

"Your parents are a piece of work," Josie said as they sat on the bleachers yet again, watching the team practice. Veronica had called an emergency meeting with her favorite Pussycat and here they were, too late for anyone but the football team who had a late practice to be at school. "How are you explaining this to everyone?"

"You're the only one besides our parents who knows," Veronica confessed holding her coffee cup in her hands and hoping the heat would warm up her entire body not just burn her hands. "We're hoping Betty is too busy with the twins to notice Archie's empty room and that Jughead doesn't need a place to crash until we figure out how to tell them, no-one has noticed just yet."

"And your parents?" Josie asked carefully, she and Veronica had originally bonded over their daddy-issues, so Josie knew the Lodge's family troubles as well as Veronica knew the McCoy's problems.

"I haven't spoken to my parents since they confronted us, I have been completely cut off from everything, Archie's parents checked up on us last night but it was a quick visit, to tell us they were giving up the truck so we could get around town easily," Veronica said looking out to the field to see the boys all gathered around the coach, it was dark and she was cold so she hoped that they would hurry up so Archie could take her back to the house. "It's only been a few days so we've just needed to use it for school."

"That's nice of them," Josie said and Veronica nodded, as far as in-laws went, she definitely hit the jackpot with Fred and Mary. "What's it like, living with your husband?"

"We're surviving but it's been … different," Veronica said pausing to take a sip of her coffee. "He reheats whatever food Mary has dropped off and I clean, well I try to, the other day I filled up the laundry room with soap bubbles because I put too much washing powder into the washing machine, Archie was the only one amused."

"That's sound's domestic," Josie said struggling to keep her laughter in, especially when Veronica shot her a look to shut up.

"It is very domestic, we get irritated with each other about the silliest of things, like laundry and toilet paper, which he never replaces," Veronica said with a roll of her eyes when Josie failed miserably to stop laughing. "We haven't had sex since Las Vegas so both of us are frustrated, it's like an unspoken agreement that we need to be ready now that our feelings are out in the open but there's something about waking up to him right there next to me that's … I don't even know how to describe it."

"Oh, you're giving me all the feels," Josie squealed and Veronica laughed at her dramatic friend. "The biggest question now is when are you going to tell the rest of the world?"

"After the game on Friday, everyone will be too tired to fight," Veronica told her with a grin and Josie shook her head. "Last week I just had to find the words to tell them that we were in a relationship in a way that would cause the least pain."

"But now your parents are involved and you have to tell them that not only are you in a relationship, you're married," Josie supplied and Veronica nodded. "And living together."

"Yes which complicates things slightly," Veronica said trying to joke about it. "My time's up, once Betty knows, that's it, either she's angry and I lose my best friend and I hate myself even more or she's happy for me and I get to keep my best friend and have a charmed life."

"You're Veronica Lodge, you'll keep your charmed life," Josie teased and Veronica shrugged, she wasn't so sure. "But seriously, I'm glad you guys are talking and that you guys are staying together, you and Archie have so much love for each other, I would hate for that to be pushed away even if it is for the good of your friendships."

"You are such a hopeless romantic," Veronica said and Josie grinned, somewhere between them finally talking and moving in together, Veronica got confidant about her place in Archie's life and Josie could not be happier about that. "Archie and I, we're getting there."

"Hey," the boy in question greeted, slotting himself onto the bench next to Veronica and wrapping his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her neck before greeting Josie who looked like she was going to burst from happiness at seeing them be so free with each other.

"Cold," Veronica complained when his ice cold cheek pressed against her warm neck, looking to the field and around to find everything empty. "Where is everyone?"

"Coach sent everyone home," Reggie told her when he popped up next to Josie. "It's only the four of us and soon to be just the two of you, I'm freezing and I'm taking this one home."

"This one has a name," Josie said rolling her eyes but blew a kiss to Veronica and Archie as she stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ready to go?" Archie asked and Veronica nodded, turning slightly in his arms to kiss him. The lights went off and Veronica gasped and pushed herself away from Archie. "Relax Ronnie, coach just put the flood lights off."

"I didn't realize how bright it was," she said blinking as her eyes adjusted to the normal lighting leading from the bleachers to the parking lot. "I'm cold."

"I know," he said standing and picking her up with him and tapping her nose. "Your nose is red."

"I can't even feel that," she frowned trying to wiggle her nose.

"Josie seemed very happy with us," Archie commented and Veronica laughed, Josie had gone from berating them about kissing behind the bleachers to being their biggest supporter.

"She find's our new living arrangements to be quite hilarious," Veronica said as he opened the door for her to jump in. "Especially because neither of us are very good at being domestic."

"You didn't need to tell her all of that," he said rolling his eyes and she giggled leaning in to kiss him, since they let go of trying to not be a couple and just be together, everything changed, every opportunity to kiss and touch was taken and every feeling was heightened.

"Friday," Veronica said softly once they broke apart, touching her nose to his.

"I can't wait to actually hold your hand in public," Archie said smiling and taking her hand in his, she couldn't wait either. "Maybe we should move it up, tell them tomorrow."

"I think you need to focus on the game, there's a lot of scouts out there and I don't want you to be distracted," Veronica told him as he left her side to jump into the driver's seat and start up the van, she knew what getting into collage meant to Archie's dad and to Archie, she knew he was trying to make the next few years as easy on his parents as possible and a football scholarship would do just that, having him distracted and messing up his life in another way was the last thing Veronica wanted to be responsible for.

"It'll be ok Ronnie," he whispered as they finally pulled into the driveway and he tugged on her hand and kissed the back of it. "Trust me."

"Maybe I should get her together with someone else before we tell her," Veronica said biting her nail and Archie shook his head, jumping out of the truck to run over to her side and open the door. "That would make it easier right?"

A good friend wouldn't have even gotten together with Archie in the first place but Veronica couldn't stop the pull she felt toward him. That more than anything made her feel like the worst person, even though Archie made it clear that he didn't feel that way for Betty and they thought Betty had moved on, Veronica still felt like she somehow betrayed her friend. And now she had to tell her, she had to be honest, she couldn't hide or stop her relationship with Archie, she was in too deep.

"Veronica," Archie laughed, stopping her nervous thoughts as he helped her get down from the truck. "Stop, we didn't deliberately set out to hurt her, it happened and neither of us regret it, she doesn't need to know we got married, no-one else does ok? We just need to tell her that we're together."

"And how are we going to explain this living together," Veronica said taking a deep breath and leaning into his arms when he offered her comfort. "I don't want to lose her."

"Me neither, but I don't want to lose you even more," Archie said and Veronica blushed as he walked them into the house. "Let's get you warmed up, you're freezing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys new chapter
> 
> So no more reveals, this was just a filler chapter, I'm not the happiest with it but there's quite a bit that I love about it, especially Archie and Veronica's little moments, I feel like I never spend any time on Archie's feelings but I'm not sure how to fit it in, so maybe soon I'll have of his point of view but for now we're in Veronica's had alot more
> 
> I condensed 2 chapters into this one because I hated the pacing before and this chapter previously had another scene where Veronica was insecure about Archie's relationship with Betty which could have worked but after 9 chapters of Veronica being confused I needed her to be sure of her and Archie just like what Josie realized when talking to her
> 
> Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoyed this, please review and let me know what you think
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


	11. Chapter 11

Veronica stared at the ceiling the morning of their away game, she was nervous, too nervous, about the game and speaking to Betty about her and Archie and she wished she could be as sure of her feelings and her future as Archie seemed to be.

She looked over to his peaceful face reaching out to trace his lips gently, he looked too young to be married, to be anything other than a teenager ready to go out into the world and find himself, but as she was realizing, this boy was an old soul. He loved her, of all people he chose her, he had a different idea of the rest of his life than she did, it would be so easy to lose herself in his ideal world, sometimes she wished she could.

Veronica pushed herself up so she was sitting upright and leaning on the headboard, sighing heavily she reached her arm out and flicked his nose, hard enough that he jerked awake and blinked sleepily at her and Veronica couldn't help but want to just lean over and kiss him and stay like this for the rest of the day.

"Oh Archikins, you're awake," she said brightly smiling at him and he made a face and groaned wiggling himself closer to her and dropping his head onto her lap. "What are you doing?"

"Sleep Ronnie, is too early," he mumbled, his arms coming up to wrap around her waist like she was a teddy bear and she frowned pushing at his shoulder. "Noooo."

"Stop being such a baby," she said rolling her eyes, just when she was thinking he was an old soul and had everything figured out, he turns into a child. "You have a game today and an hour to get into the truck otherwise we'll be late, move Andrews."

"We can shower together cuts out most of the hour," he said yawning and she rolled her eyes, is this what being married to him is going to be like for the rest of her life? No, not life, 5 months.

"We both know that if we get into that shower together it's going to take longer than an hour," Veronica laughed through her annoyance and Archie picked his head up and grinned at her, this time she couldn't help herself and leaned down to kiss him, moaning into his mouth when he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between her lips and moving his body against hers until he was pressed against her, pinning her to the bed.

"Ok I'm awake now," he said pressing his forehead to hers when they broke apart and breathing heavily, both of them with their eyes still shut. "Why don't you go shower and I'll get in when you're done?"

"Archie," Veronica whispered opening her eyes and he shook his head, the time for talking about moving forward physically would not happen now.

"Later," he told her not moving just yet so she had to remain beneath him, his eyes were still shut, allowing her to study him for longer. "I promise."

When he finally moved Veronica got up and disappeared into the bathroom quickly still breathing heavily, for a couple who began and stayed purely physical for so much of their relationship, it would be a surprise to anyone that they were actually keeping themselves celibate for so long. It was a surprise to her.

Normal people would wait to get married to start having sex or keep on having sex, they got married and stopped. "We are definitely doing this the wrong way," Veronica mumbled.

* * *

"I love away games," Cheryl said fluffing her hair as they looked out onto the field and the stands that were filling up. "New boys to dazzle, new people to impress, if any of you make me look bad, there will be consequences."

"And I thought Josie was a slave-driver," Veronica said sitting on the floor and stretching to touch her toes.

"I resent that," Josie said and Veronica cringed, she didn't realize her friend was close enough to her to hear what she said and Betty laughed. Josie was an honorary River Vixen, she joined them for away games and sang songs with the other Pussycats for them at the home games.

"I'm sure she means that in the best way," Betty told her pressing her lips together and Veronica nodded quickly.

"Of course I do," she said smiling too wide to be normal and Josie narrowed her eyes and made a face at Veronica who quickly turned to Betty. "How's the quest going to find a new editor for the Blue and Gold?"

"It's going," Betty mumbled. "Jug and I have interviewed almost everyone we could but no-one fit's the idea we had in our head."

"People rarely do, you need to give them a chance, one minute you think they're scum and the next they're sweeping you off your feet," Josie mused and Veronica smirked, even Betty smiled though she didn't know who Josie was talking about. "I'm just talking in general of course."

"Oh of course," Veronica agreed as she and Betty burst out laughing. "Boys can keep you on your toes."

"Speaking off, I've noticed something off about Archie," Betty told them looking around to see if there was anyone close enough to them and Josie and Veronica shared a nervous look. "He hasn't been in his room recently, the curtains are always drawn and the lights are off, I know Fred is there, I see him and Mary sometimes but it's like Archie has just disappeared."

"You know how coach can get before a game as big as this," Veronica said clearing her throat and shrugging, at least she wasn't lying about that. "This is an important team to beat he probably had them training early in the morning and late into the night."

"Maybe," Betty conceded, biting on her lip like she didn't really buy the concept. "Cheryl and Polly have been complaining that Jason had to stay late for practice even though he was missing the away games because of the twins."

"Juniper and Dagwood," Veronica said clearing her throat and changing the subject as Josie looked at Veronica, Betty noticed, the time they thought they had to talk to her had officially run out. "I love your sister, but those names need to be buried."

"Or burned," Josie added in unnecessarily and Betty laughed and nodded agreeing with them.

"I have no idea what my sister was thinking, but those weren't chosen by her, I'm sure," Betty said rolling her eyes. "This has the Blossom parents written all over it."

"Jason and Cheryl are so normal compared to this," Josie mused tapping her chin.

"Anything else is normal compared to it," Betty laughed. "I just hope that when they finally decide on second names, I can say them without cringing."

* * *

"V, is everything ok with us," Betty asked at halftime. "We haven't spent much time together since this school year has begun, Josie has had you working on songs and when you're not with the pussy cats you've been studying or cheerleading, is something wrong?"

Veronica pressed her lips down together and shook her head slightly, looking out to where the coach had the boys huddled before the second half began, to where Archie was. "I need to talk to you about something B," Veronica said with a sad smile and a shrug and Betty's face changed to worry. "But not right now, we're here to have fun and support the boys and after all this is done then you will hear all of my sordid tales."

"Is everything ok with you?" Betty asked concerned and Veronica nodded and smiled at her friends concern and knowing how that was going to change. "Your parents?"

"We're not talking at the moment," Veronica said dropping her eyes to the floor and letting out a deep breath. "I'll tell you about it later."

Betty nodded, looking a little bit more at ease now that she had a general understanding of why Veronica was so distant. Veronica clenched her jaw and then shook off whatever she was feeling and walking over to Cheryl who had summoned them.

Veronica had always been close to her parents, not in the sense that they'd tell each other everything and there was always hugs and kisses waiting for her. But in the sense that no matter how many fights they had and how bad things between them had turned, Veronica always knew that if at any point she needed them, they would be there and they would fight for her and she for them, this time though she wasn't so sure, she heard the implications in her fathers words when he told her to move out, she was not his little girl anymore, she belonged to someone else and he was not her protector anymore.

Veronica hated the thought of belonging to anyone, but in the simplest of terms that's how her father worked and to an extent its how she worked. The only way she and her father would ever recover is if she got divorced and went back home and never had contact with Archie again or if he accepted Archie. Somehow the former seemed more doable but Veronica wasn't sure she'd survive not being any part of Archie Andrews life.

Archie caught her eye and tilted his head up asking if she were alright and Veronica smiled and winked, she was fine as long as he needed her to be so he could finish this game and look good to the scouts Coach Clayton kept eyeing in the stands. She couldn't help but smile genuinely when his face lit up and he ran out onto the field to get into position.

Veronica turned to the Vixens with a smile on her face only for it to fall off at the look Betty was giving her along with the shoulder shrug asking what that was because she caught the exchange and Cheryl looking smug next to Betty like she was the one who told the girl to notice it. Oh.

* * *

"Touchdown!" the announcer screamed and the Riverdale team and supporters started celebrating, the Vixens started their victory cheer with huge smiles on their faces as the boys started running up to Archie who had let go of the ball and stood up, taking his helmet off and holding his arms up in the air. This was a huge victory for the Riverdale boys and especially Archie and Reggie, who had really stepped up their game.

Veronica and the girls were doing a victory cheer and she looked toward Betty, but her best friend was straight faced and refusing to meet Veronica's gaze so she looked into the crowd of players to find her boy, she should probably tell him what was happening and hope it doesn't spoil the good mood she knew he'd be in.

Veronica caught sight of his red hair and screamed, because at that moment one of the players from the other team slammed into Archie hard enough that she saw Archie's head hit the steel pole and they went down but Archie didn't get back up even when the other player did.

There was silence on the field as the spectators and the players realized what had just happened. Reggie ran straight into the other player tackling him away from Archie and then chaos erupted, with both teams attacking each other. Veronica wasn't aware that she was sprinting across the field until Archie was close enough for her to touch, she didn't know where the other vixens were or how she managed to push her way through the brawl but she didn't even care as she dropped down next to Archie whose eyes were shut and cradled his face.

"Archie," Veronica said shakily one hand on his chest and the other going to touch the side of his head. "Come on babe," she whispered and looked up to see blood on the pole and there was blood on her hands from where she touched him.

"Ow," Archie groaned blinking and squinting as he came back and Veronica dropped her forehead to his for a second. "What happened?"

"That troglodyte attacked you for winning," Veronica said, her breaths were coming out as short puffs as she tried to control her panic. "When I get a hold of him." she whispered murderously to herself.

"Hey, are you ok?" he asked amused at her anger on his behalf, pushing himself up slowly with her help and reaching up to his head to touch the wound.

"You're the one bleeding from the head and you want to know if I'm ok?" Veronica asked incredulously, her voice high as she tried not to cry and letting out a breath of relief when the paramedics finally reached them and started asking Archie questions and checking to see what the damage was before turning to her and asking her how long he was unconscious for since she was the first person to reach him and he was still a little confused.

Once there was a bandage over his head they put an oxygen mask over his mouth and stopped him from talking while they checked other vitals, making sure that they didn't need to take him to the hospital and the wound wasn't deep enough to require stitches.

The fighting had stopped, the teams separated and were being attended to by the paramedics for minor injuries, leaving Veronica and Archie sitting in a tent of to the side of the field until a paramedic did a final check on him and gave him the go ahead to go home.

"It's really not that bad," Archie complained pulling the mask of his face, ignoring the unimpressed look on Veronica's face.

"Not that bad? They wanted to take you to the hospital," Veronica stressed, touching the bandage and wincing slightly at the blood that bled through the layers already, the paramedics weren't too concerned, they said it was a shallow cut and Archie didn't have a concussion, any trip to the hospital would just be making sure. "And if these other morons didn't cause a full on brawl, I'm sure there would be more medical attention on you, although I do hope that Reggie broke something."

"Veronica Andrews are you encouraging fighting?" Archie asked with a smile because Veronica was always the one chastising them for the fights that broke out at school or any violent talk. Which was laughable, considering the fact that she wouldn't think twice about getting violent if someone close to her was threatened. "What'd I say?"

Veronica couldn't say anything, she just stared at him. They had been married for almost 2 months now but she had never heard her married name before, neither she nor Archie had said her name out loud before this, he'd called her wife but that was as far as it went, even Josie, the cheerleader of her marriage had never called her that. Veronica felt a strange sense of formalization at the name being said out loud that not even their parents making them live together could do.

"Does someone want to explain to me what is happening here?" Betty's voice came from behind them and Veronica suddenly became aware that she and Archie weren't public knowledge and she dropped her hand from Archie's head and snapped her head around to face Betty.

"My head hit a pole and Ronnie is freaking out," Archie explained dryly and Veronica gave him her most 'are you serious' expression she could dig up and he shrugged, that was what had happened.

"Is this what you needed to talk to me about?" Betty asked taking another step toward them and Veronica stood, but didn't move forward because Archie refused to let go of her hand. "You two are together."

"Yes," Veronica said with a sharp nod and looked down to Archie who was watching her. "But there's more to it."

"Oh of course there is, I should have just listened to Kevin when he told me that you wanted Archie for yourself," Betty said throwing her hands up in the hair. "How long has this been going on? Every time we spoke about Archie you never mentioned feelings for him."

"Of course I never mentioned feelings for him Betty, do you remember what it was like after my first Blossom party here? I wanted to be sure that it wasn't just a temporary fling before telling you," Veronica said biting the inside of her lip nervously.

"So it's not a temporary fling?" Betty asked crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking as disappointed as Veronica imagined she would.

"I wouldn't call being married a 'temporary fling'," Archie threw out irritated, he was in no mood for beating around the bush and had two sets of wide eyes turn to him for two very different reasons.

"Married?" Betty gasped and Veronica nodded throwing one last glare at Archie to let her handle it before his bruised brain made it worse.

"Yes, when we were in Vegas Archie and I got drunk and got married but our parents refused to dissolve the marriage so we are still married," Veronica told her quickly.

"And that's it, just a mistake marriage that your parents don't want to dissolve?" Betty asked disbelievingly. "You don't want Archie in that way."

"Betty," Veronica started trying to find the words to make her understand.

"Well you married him so you must have wanted him in that way," Betty bit out and Veronica winced. "When were you going to tell me? Maybe before I made an idiot of myself and told a married man how I felt? Or maybe when I was telling you that I was in love with him and I asked you if you knew what his feelings were? Did you want to see what he said and then have a good laugh about how poor Betty Cooper still has a crush on him? But I'm sure you didn't care about my feelings at all."

"She cares too much, if you ask me," Archie said with a roll of his eyes and Betty's mouth snapped shut as she turned to him as if she had forgotten he was there as well, Veronica pinched his arm to shut up but Archie was done with saving Betty's feelings at the expense of Veronica's. "If it wasn't for Veronica trying to protect your feelings, we would have been together a lot longer, with alot less drama."

"We never wanted to hurt you, I didn't know what Archie's feelings were when you told him how you felt, I was going to tell you everything tonight, Archie and I," Veronica started glancing down at Archie who looked curiously at her trying to guess where her head was. "Archie and I are together, the marriage really was a mistake but we aren't, I love him and he loves me."

"You love him?" Betty asked slowly and Veronica nodded yes, she really did, she honestly didn't even know that she could admit that fact out loud until now, she didn't look his way but she could practically feel Archie watching her in wonder. "You aren't capable of love, you're still that privileged, shallow, airhead party girl you said you left behind in New York, you never cared about how I felt or the pact that you made where we both stayed away from Archie because you had him behind my back, Kevin was right, you were never my friend, you just wanted Archie for yourself."

"That is not true and you know it, I'm sorry Archie doesn't feel that way about you but that was not my fault when I first moved here and it's not my fault now," Veronica gritted out, her fingers hooking through the belt loops on Archie's pants to keep him where he was when he stood in reaction to Betty's words. "Now if you'll excuse us my husband is in alot of pain and he doesn't need this right now."

It was a low blow but on the list of things that Veronica could handle right now, saving Betty's feelings wasn't even close to cutting it. She could see Betty's fist clenching when she was really angry about something, she was probably itching to slap Veronica but Betty didn't say anything, she just shook her head in disgust and walked back to the cheerleaders across the field.

Veronica sunk down to the chair next to Archie and covered her head with her hands, this entire night had just gone pear shaped.

"So you love me," Archie asked breaking through the tension and reaching for her, tugging her against his chest.

"Shut up," she said with a choked laugh, she was seconds away from crying.

"I love you," Archie whispered, fiercely as if he needed her to know that if she believed nothing else, she should believe that.

"I love you too, Archie Andrews," Veronica whispered back, smiling as she finally said it out loud to him and for him, Archie smiled her favorite blinding smile before he kissed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Betty knows dum dum dum lol
> 
> Thank you to my darling cousin B for the injury advice, I was going to have Archie in the hospital and make it extra dramatic but she reminded me that if the paramedics couldn't treat it on site and he was unconscious for that long it would just be so much more medically complicated than I needed no matter how dramatically perfect that could have been lol and as a paramedic herself I trust the advice
> 
> Thank you guys so much for the reviews on the previous chapter I love hearing what you think, I plan on showing a little more of Archie and Veronica living together with a few complications thrown in for comedic effect before this story draws to a close
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter and were satisfied with Betty's reaction to it, I struggled to really write it to be as harsh as I wanted it but i think it tuned out ok, let me know what you think
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


	12. Chapter 12

"My mum called, again," Archie sighed dropping down onto the couch next to Veronica who was trying and failing to concentrate on her book. He plucked the book out of her hand and tossed it onto the table before she could protest, lying his head down on her lap and sighing. "It's only been a day since I got hurt and I think I've spoken to her more today than this whole year, I'm just glad she hasn't shown up here and decided to stay over."

"She's worried," Veronica said amused, her fingers automatically running through his hair, avoiding the tender spot where a clean bandage was now sitting. "She panicked yesterday when Betty told her what happened."

"I still don't understand why she had to call my parents, I was fine, I would have told them what happened when we got back," Archie huffed and Veronica rolled her eyes. His annoyance at Betty was far greater and less understanding than hers.

"You're still angry at her for what she said to me when she found out?" Veronica asked amused with his determination to remain angry even when she had already let go of the things Betty said in the moment, Betty calling his parents would have been normal, something that he would have appreciated but now because he was angry with her, he found it to be the most annoying thing ever.

"Of course I am, no matter what we kept from her, she had no right to say any of that to you, I don't care how angry she might be," Archie said turning so he was on his back instead of his side and he could look up into her face. "What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing," Veronica laughed her hand trailing down the side of his face and neck, across his chest. "Just how hot it is when you're defending my honour."

"Really, because last night I thought you were going to rip my arm off for defending your honour," he murmured, his eyes watching her hand as it crept further down to his stomach.

"I don't want you fighting all my battles for me but," she said emphasizing the 'but' with her nail scratching the top of his abs where she knew he was ticklish and he shivered. "I like it when you get angry on my behalf, all protective, cave man-like."

"Ronnie," Archie warned, his eyes coming up to meet hers when her fingers dipped lower, underneath his jeans to touch the skin there before moving to open the button and Archie pushed himself up enough so he could place a hand behind her neck and pull her mouth to his.

"Is this really what I'm going to be walking into every time I visit now?"

"What?" Archie yelped breaking apart from Veronica and landing on the floor. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you get in here?"

"You already raided the kitchen? Those are my fruit loops," Veronica complained using her thumb to touch her lips to fix any lipstick that smudged.

"I'm pretty sure I locked the door," Archie complained, sitting down next to Veronica and looking forlornly at her to which she just kissed him chastely and placed a throw pillow on his lap before looking back at the intruder.

"So many questions so early in the morning," Jughead said hopping onto the couch, seating himself on the backrest with his feet on the cushion. Veronica was going to scold him but thought she would sound too much like her mother so she stopped and just shook her head.

"It's 2 in the afternoon," she said instead, raising an eyebrow and he just shrugged and grinned at them.

"So you're married," he asked wiggling his eyebrows. "Vegas wedding, classy."

"What do you want Jug?" Archie asked pressing his finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, if Jughead reacted like Betty did, he would get violent. "Betty has already told us how disappointed she was that we didn't tell her and yes we should have probably told you sooner but it was confusing enough for us without getting the peanut gallery involved, and just when we were finally ready to tell everyone, I got hurt and now we're here."

"Interesting, I got most of that from Betty already, when we went to your house to check how you were this morning and maybe apologize," Jughead said tipping the box over so he could pour more of the cereal into his mouth. "But your mom told us that you were at your marital house which was surprising enough without Betty getting upset, you should have probably mentioned this last night."

"Marital house?" Archie asked, the term sounded preposterous.

"Chew your food Jughead," Veronica said making a disgusted face. "She was a little too angry about the fact that we were wed to bring our living arrangements into it yesterday but that doesn't answer the question of how you got into our house."

"Oh, Fred gave me a key," he shrugged, like it was just one of those things, before moving on. "To be fair, the marriage bit is surprising, your relationship however is not, Archie's eyes follow you around like he's a little puppy V and you can't resist watching him when you think no-one is looking."

"Huh," Veronica said turning to look at Archie who shrugged, they weren't as sly as they thought they were.

"But the real reason I came here is to ask if I can crash here, since you guys have an extra room," he asked looking at them as sweetly as Jughead could look. "You won't need to provide anything, I have a bed and I'm a decent cook, well, you might need to provide the ingredients."

Archie snorted but looked over at Veronica who nodded, she liked Jughead enough and if he was going to be as easy about this marriage and relationship as he seemed like he was going to be she definitely wouldn't mind having him around especially when she was convinced that Archie was going to lose his best guy friend as well once news of their relationship broke.

"Ok Jug, choose a room," Archie told him.

"Great, Tall Boy!" he yelled and Veronica jumped and stared wide eyed at the door where two bikers from FP's biker club where currently carrying a single bed into her house. "You can put it into that room next to the kitchen, I have a feeling I'll be making the least noise if it's there."

"How did you know we were going to say yes?" Veronica asked and Archie just looked resigned to the fact that his best friend just always got his way with him.

"Archie could never turn me down when I needed a place to stay after all our years of friendship and I was banking on you having the heart to take in a homeless friend for a little while," Jughead said looking at her with the most heartbreaking face and Veronica couldn't help but laugh as Jughead ordered his moving buddies around.

"What did I agree to?" Veronica groaned watching more things come into the house.

"Don't worry, he won't track mud in the house, he generally cleans up after himself and he's very loyal," Archie laughed. "We just need to feed him, keep him entertained and give him lots of love."

"So basically we just adopted a puppy," Veronica deadpanned and Archie nodded, that was exactly what he was going for.

"I heard that," they heard Jughead call from the other room before the front door slammed shut and he appeared back in the living room. "So in exchange for me living here, I'll help you with your Betty problem."

"I don't know how that's going to work Jug," Archie said with a sigh. "I don't think anything is going to get through to her."

"Ah that's where you're wrong Archikins," Jughead replied pulling out a slab of chocolate from his pocket and Veronica glared at him, she hid that chocolate so Archie wouldn't steal it before she had a chance to eat it and here Jughead was, already half way through. "Betty loves you too much to let this stop her from being in your life, Ronnie she doesn't love you as much just yet, you don't have the years that we have and you stole her man."

"I didn't-" Veronica started but stopped herself and made a movement with her arm to tell Jughead to carry on.

"I would suggest just letting her get over it, Betty Cooper is not stupid, without Kevin going on about whatever 'endgame' idea he has she would probably be over young Archie already," Jughead told them. "And now that she know's how unavailable Archie really is, she's going to realise sooner that her feelings are misplaced and she and Archie will never be together."

"And me?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know if B&V will ever get back to their former glory but there's always hope," Jughead said with a shrug.

"Thank you Dr. Phil," Archie laughed and Jughead grinned, happy to be making a contribution.

"Where's your remote? What's good on TV," he asked grabbing the remote when Archie threw it to him and switching the TV on.

* * *

"Jugheads living with you now?" Josie asked furrowing her brows as they got their food and turned to go to a table, of all the things Veronica could have told her she did not expect that. "When did this happen?"

"He showed up on Saturday, at possibly the worst time," Veronica added, she was just a little frustrated because she and Archie were just about to get somewhere when Jughead walked in. "We couldn't say no, and he's really good help around the house."

"Like a live in maid?" Josie asked carefully.

"We like to think of him as a puppy," Veronica smirked and Josie snorted. "The funny thing is that Jughead is ok with it."

"You and Archie just started this relationship and became roommates, is throwing Jughead into the mix really such a good idea?" Josie asked carefully and Veronica sighed, taking her seat more heavily than she intended too and Josie raised an eyebrow. "Is he causing problems?"

"No, Jughead is probably the best buffer Archie and I could ask for, any disagreements we may have had with each other before we now have with Jughead," Veronica said and Josie laughed, her favourite married couple was definitely crazy. "It's definitely made Archie and I stronger, trying to deal with the puppy we have to keep alive and happy."

"You're really sticking to the dog metaphor aren't you?" Josie said.

"Yep," Veronica laughed.

"People are staring at us," Josie whispered, realizing belatedly that she probably shouldn't have made Veronica aware of that because they were probably looking at her after how she reacted to Archie being attacked on Friday night at the game but Veronica just smiled to herself, she already knew.

"It's either Cheryl or Kevin who spread the word, Betty isn't petty enough and no-one else at that game thought much about Archie and I, not with all the other things happening," Veronica muttered stabbing at her salad. Kevin had randomly walked into her twice already, dropping her books and her files, she was so happy he was nowhere to be found when she was carrying around her tray of food because she didn't have anything else to change into.

"How's he doing with the fall out with Betty?" Josie asked wondering if it was the right time to ask the question but really wanting to know.

"He's ... upset," Veronica said laughing and Josie raised an eyebrow, she didn't expect Veronica to be this amused about it. "I expected him to be angry about Betty walking out of his life but he's upset because Betty called me a privileged and shallow."

"Wait, she said what?" Josie asked her eyes wide, she knew about how Betty found out about Archie and Veronica and the fight that followed it she knew both parties were angry and that it was more Archie and Betty's fight than Betty and Veronica's but Veronica failed to mention how cruel Betty was to her. "V."

"I would probably be more upset if Archikins wasn't angry enough for the both of us," Veronica laughed. "I don't know Jo, I expected this but I'm just more sad than I am angry, you know?"

"V, you are without a doubt, the kindest person I have met," Josie said, needing her friend to hear that she wasn't what Betty accused her of being. "Sure you can be a little privileged and a lot spoiled, but you've never used it to hurt anyone."

"Thank you," Veronica said with a watery smile, as much as Archie could reassure her, she needed to hear that she wasn't the person she left behind in New York from someone else, she needed to hear it from someone as honest as Josie.

Veronica and Josie continued to talk, ignoring the stares and the whispers until everything went silent and Veronica looked up to see Archie and Reggie approaching them, Archie's face was set in anger and Veronica automatically reached out to grasp one of his hands between hers under the table when he sat down.

"Everyone knows and you're still hiding us," Archie snapped and Veronica withdrew her hands and clenched her jaw, just because he was angry at something else did not give him the right to just be angry at her.

"What is wrong with you?" Veronica asked and Archie grunted and looked away from her across the table to Reggie and Josie who were looking worriedly at them. "Whoever needs to know about us knows, we are not a PDA couple and I don't expect you to want that from me now," Veronica snapped back and Archie sighed and ran his hand roughly through his hair, this day was just never ending stares and whispers and he was sick of it.

"We should just give them one massive public display of affection and let them ooh and aah and get it out of their system so they don't speculate behind my back loud enough for me to hear," Archie told her and Veronica nodded, she knew exactly how he felt.

"That is actually a very good idea," Reggie said jumping up onto his seat and then stepping onto the table and pulling Josie with him. Veronica raised an eyebrow and Josie shrugged she had no idea what he was planning either, was he going to introduce the newlyweds and then have her sing a song?

"Do you know what he's planning?" Veronica whispered to Archie who shook his head and stared up at their friends a little confused like the rest of the cafeteria was.

"Oh, were you waiting for Archie and Veronica to do something? Well go on Archikins give her a kiss, it's not like everyone isn't already talking about you two," Reggie said when he saw his classmates look from him and Josie standing on the table down to Archie and Veronica who were still seated.

"What are you doing?" Veronica hissed, if looks could kill Veronica's glare would have landed Reggie in the morgue but she turned to Archie's confused face when he touched her cheek and kissed him anyway, keeping it short and sweet, neither of them were comfortable with the whole school watching.

"Save it for the bedroom," Reggie called fanning himself and Veronica stuck her middle finger up to him and he let out a booming laugh before turning back to the crowd of students. "Let's be honest here folks, no-one is surprised by them getting together."

Archie chuckled putting his arm around Veronica and tugging her into his side sighing contently when her arms came around his waist hugging him, maybe they weren't a public display couple but he would be damned if he didn't get to hold her now that everyone already knew that she was his girl.

"So let's try for something you're actually going to be surprised by," Reggie grinned, pulling Josie in by the waist and dipping her giving her enough time to slap him if she really wanted to before kissing her. There was shocked silence and then the cafeteria erupted into catcalls and shouts for the highly unexpected couple, the jock who was adamant he would never just have one girl and the singing sensation whose dreams were too big to be distracted by a boy, together, Archie and Veronica were boring compared to that.

"Vote for us for homecoming King and Queen," Reggie called once they had broken apart, jumping off the table and helping Josie down as well. "Now that is how you do a public display of affection, you're welcome."

"I could kill you for that," Josie scolded and Reggie smiled smugly and flexed his muscles.

"You enjoyed that too much to kill me," Reggie said and Josie looked over and Archie and Veronica for help, Veronica just shrugged and pulled Archie's arm tighter around herself, she couldn't help, not when Reggie was telling the truth about how much Josie enjoyed that.

"I can't get you out of this one pussycat," she laughed at Josie's bewildered face.

Reggie pulled Josie for another kiss until Veronica and Archie started complaining that there were other people around and they wanted to eat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : I know the chapter is late I'm so sorry, life is really hard guys, I'm trying to write when I can but there isn't that much time at the moment so the next few chapters might be really late, so I apologize in advance
> 
> This chapter was so much fun to write, the Varchie moment in the beginning, Jughead finally making a proper appearance in this story and the Reggie Josie bit of it, I love it
> 
> Thank you so much for the amazing reviews, I love that you guys loved Veronica standing up for herself and Archie standing up for her as well, that was the thing I kept needing to see on the show so I write it out, but since I started this story we've been getting some really good protective Varchie scenes, especially from Archie's side
> 
> Please review and let me know what you think and what you want to see as this story comes to an end, I will try to add it in, and I will reply to your reviews as soon as I can find the time 
> 
> Anyway until next time (^^,)


	13. Chapter 13

Veronica moved her straw around in her milkshake, her eyes darting to the door every couple of seconds as if it didn't make a noise whenever a new customer walked through the door. So it was as surprise to her that she didn't notice Betty walk in and slip into the booth across from her.

"Hi," Veronica said clearing her throat. "I was surprised when I got your message."

"I was surprised when you agreed to meet," Betty said, thanking Pop when he placed her milkshake in front of her. "I thought after last time and everything I said at the game, you wouldn't want to talk to me again."

"I admit I was hesitant but I was hoping that maybe that was all said in the heat of the moment," Veronica said swirling the straw again as she met Betty's stare.

"I'm here to listen," Betty said placing both her hands on the table before taking a deep breath. "I know most of it, Jughead filled me in on the background, I just need to know why you didn't tell me, I mean I was telling you that I wanted to ask Archie out and you didn't even tell me that you were married or in any sort of relationship, I had no idea how you felt for him."

"I know," Veronica said biting down on her lip as she tried to think about how she was going to explain what had happened. "Archie and I only became a couple the day before the twins were born and then our parents found out and made us move in together, before that we didn't speak very much about how we felt, we were both just waiting for the day we were 18 so we could end this and move on."

"And no-one would know," Betty commented and Veronica smiled and nodded, Betty always caught on fast. "But you told me you loved him."

"I do love him," Veronica corrected, clearing her throat and straightening her back. "When Archie and I started ... seeing each other, we were just two lonely souls comforting each other, it was never meant to be permanent, the night you and Zeke broke up and you told me you still had feelings for Archie we ended it."

"Oh," Betty whispered, realization flashing in her eyes.

"I have tortured myself, and Archie, because I was terrified of hurting you and losing your friendship but I couldn't stay away from him no matter how hard I tried, I fell in love with him," Veronica said having to clear her throat half way through speaking when she got choked up. "Archie was right the other day, if I didn't care about your feelings or I was sure that you wouldn't have been hurt then we would have been together a lot longer."

"I don't ... I still love Archie, I will always love him, he's my best friend in the whole world," Betty said turning away from Veronica and staring down at her milkshake. "Before I found out about you guys, we had a long talk about what our friendship was and he made it very clear to me that he doesn't see me that way, he made it equally clear this morning that by hurting you I'm effectively ending my friendship with him."

Veronica didn't say anything she just nodded and waited for Betty to continue, she didn't expect Betty to have spoken to Archie without him telling her but that was probably why Betty was sitting across from her right now.

"It took me too long to really figure it out myself but I'm not in love with Archie either," Betty said with a shrug and Veronica raised her eyebrows. "My story with Archie would be an amazing one to tell, it sounds good and looks good on paper and I convinced myself that it would be perfect in reality but it's not real, it took Jugheads incredibly condescending looks for me to see that I'm punishing you for something out of your control, Archie's feelings would be the same for me whether you were in our lives or not and I just need to stop feeling sorry for myself."

"Jughead really has a way with looks," Veronica laughed. "My favorite is when he gets offended when you keep him from eating."

"I didn't even think that was possible ," Betty said laughing with Veronica.

"It is when you're the one cooking," Veronica said shaking her head. "Or trying to anyway."

"About that," Betty said and Veronica looked up questioningly, leaning back in the booth and crossing her arms in front of her chest. "It was nice of you to let him live with you, he and his dad don't always see eye to eye and it causes ... problems."

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not a privileged, shallow airhead party girl who only cares about herself," Veronica said and Betty flinched. "He needed a place to stay, I had an extra room and even if neither wants to actually admit it, Archie loves Jughead like a brother and he'd have been crushed if he couldn't help in anyway he could."

"I just meant that I don't think I've ever seen you guys actually speak before," Betty corrected and Veronica nodded because honestly until he started living with them, she and Jughead barely acknowledged each others existence.

"One of the reasons I fought so hard against being with Archie was because I didn't want him to lose his best friends and I didn't want to lose mine," Veronica explained meeting Betty's gaze with a shrug. "I thought I had friends in New York but after my dad was arrested they were nowhere to be found, friendships became very important to me when I moved to Riverdale and the bond that you 3 share is precious, the bond that you and I shared was precious to me."

"I wish you had told me," Betty said dropping her eyes to the table.

"Really?" Veronica asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Betty stressed. "I probably wouldn't have reacted any differently if I'm being honest and I know my previous reaction was less than reassuring but it would have been better than finding out the way I did and having Cheryl constantly allude to it like she knew what was going on and I didn't."

"Cheryl did not know, she just assumed correctly, which is terrifying," Veronica said shaking her head, she did not trust that red head to keep any secrets, she liked causing trouble too much, as proven by how she meddled without knowing what happened. "Josie is the only other person who knew."

"I'm still not happy about you and Archie keeping this from me and Kevin's probably going to kill me for this but I don't want to lose either of my friendships either," Betty said eventually and Veronica held her breath, as Betty got ready to say something else. "Jughead is going to quote this forever but he was right," Betty said with a laugh. "I was an idiot for being angry at the way this turned out even though I knew this was how it would end."

"We don't need to tell him," Veronica said shaking her head. "I'm sorry I lied."

"I'm sorry you needed to lie and I'm sorry that I keep painting you as the bad guy when all you've been doing since you got here has been trying to protect my feelings," Betty said sharing a small smile with Veronica, they still had some things to iron out but this was a start.

"Well would you look at this," Jughead said, his interruption breaking Betty and Veronica's moment, Veronica glared at him before looking up at Archie who was standing next to Jughead with a cautious smile on his face, watching her. "Have B&V reunited?"

"What if we have?" Betty asked turning to him, raising an eyebrow and glaring at his tone.

"Well I don't always meddle in other people's lives, but when I do I usually meddle right," he said rubbing his fingernails against his shirt and then blowing on them.

"Do you boys want to join us?" Betty asked after rolling her eyes at him and Jugehad shrugged and jumped into the booth next to where Betty was sitting, waving his hand to Pop's to bring his order there. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Did you know that in a school with however many students Riverdale high currently has, not one of those students understands the importance of being a good editor," Jughead began, ranting about his experience trying to find people to work at the school newspaper and eventually take over.

Archie slipped into the booth next to Veronica and pressed a kiss to her shoulder before looking over to their friends, one arm going along the booth behind her and the other on the table drumming some beat when he laughed at Jughead's struggles. Veronica scooted closer to Archie, pressing the side of her legs to his because she needed the contact but she didn't want to be too obvious in front of Betty and ruin the progress they made, propping her chin up on her clasped hands. Betty caught Veronica's movement and smiled tightly at them, she wasn't ok with Archie and Veronica just yet but she would be.

* * *

"Do the two of you know the concept of personal space?" Jughead asked after Veronica and Archie were done making hot chocolate, about the only thing he trusted them in the kitchen with making after they burned his pasta the other day.

"We're nowhere near your personal space, Jughead," Veronica said pushing a mug toward him and leaning her elbows onto the counter.

"I'm not talking about me," he said as if that should have been obvious. "I've been watching you two since you 'came out' so to speak and at any point in time, if you're in the same area barring games where you have to be separated, you're in each other's spaces."

"I'm not following," Archie said raising an eyebrow.

"I wish I watched you guys before so I would know if it's the living together that causes this," he started and both Archie and Veronica looked at each other confused before turning their confused eyes onto Jughead. "But you don't let each other get too far away, you don't touch, especially not with Betty in the room but you're right there next to each other, almost touching but not, like right now, you're a fingers length away from each other at all times."

"Um," Archie blinked looking down at his position, he was leaning against the counter next to Veronica, his body open to face her side, they weren't touching but Archie barely had to move for them to be. "Jug I don't know how you notice these things but please stop."

"What can I say, I'm a master at finding the subtleties," he grinned picking up his mug delicately with his pinky finger sticking out, taking a sip of the Hot Chocolate and sighing appreciatively.

"You're also a master at not burning your tongue," Veronica mused sliding herself the distance she needed to press herself against Archie completely and he smiled letting his hand rest on her hip. "Hi," she said to Archie, tilting her head up to press a kiss to the underside of his jaw and he blushed.

"Urg, tone it down when you're in the presence of your housemate," Jughead said averting his eyes.

"The housemate needs to understand he's in the presence of newlyweds," Veronica joked as Archie leaned down to capture her lips and then smile smugly when they broke apart.

"How is that going to work anyway?" Jughead asked tapping his chin. "Are you going to tell everyone you're married? Get divorced when you can? Get remarried after school? Tell everyone you're living together? Come up with a cover story in case anyone wants to know why you're not at your houses?"

"Now you're asking questions that we haven't gotten to yet," Archie muttered, rubbing Veronica's hip before letting go of her and taking a seat on a chair.

"Ok no, there are some obvious ones," Veronica pointed out, reaching out to place her hand on Archie's back, she wasn't ready to lose that contact just yet. "No-one else out of the select few that already know, needs to know that Archie and I are married or living together, no-one else visits us at our houses anyway, the other marriage questions ... we haven't really come to a decision on that yet, I mean at first I was sure that we'd just end it all when we were 18 but now..."

"Now there's some things we need to figure out," Archie finished reaching back to take her hand and intertwine their fingers.

"Now you're finishing each other's sentences," Jughead complained and the couple shot him amused looks. "If this is what you guys are like after mistakenly getting married I don't even want to know what you're going to be like now that you aren't fighting against it anymore."

"We'll be unstoppable," Archie told him with a grin.

"A power couple," Veronica added on, looking up and catching Archie's eye, holding it for a moment before glancing back at Jughead.

"Soulmates," they said together, grinning as Jughead shivered at them speaking in unison.

"I don't think that's something you become, I think that's something you already are," Jughead pointed out before standing up. "I'm going to go watch re-runs of something and let the two of you work out all this weird sexual tension that no married couple should have."

"Kinda hard to when there's a housemate two doors away," Veronica said in a sing-song voice and Jughead stuck his tongue out at her.

"Think if it as me preparing you for having children," Jughead shot back before leaving the room completely.

"We could just kick him out," Archie said tugging Veronica onto his lap and pressing kisses to her neck, he was all for working out the sexual tension.

"And where would he go?" Veronica asked tilting her head to the side to allow Archie better access, as much as she liked having Jughead around, she also wanted to take full advantage of living alone with one Archie Andrews.

"To my dad's," Archie said and then dropped his head to her shoulder. "Why didn't we think of that before?"

"Probably because your dad sent him here with keys, knowing that we'll let Jughead stay," Veronica laughed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and breathing him in. "Your dad is smart like that."

"About the questions that Jug was asking," Archie started a little nervously, picking his head up and Veronica made a noise of acknowledgement tilting her head back to look into his eyes. "You know where I stand."

"I love you," was all Veronica said after a long moment and pressed a kiss to his lips before walking out of the room and leaving Archie sitting in the kitchen and watching her go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So what do you think? I've had this written for a little while, trying to find where to go from here, I have half of chapter 14 written, thank you to Vanessa99122 over at FF.net for the idea for my opening scene, hopefully I can finish it soon and post it ... I have a basic plan for the next chapter and chapter 15 which I think will be the final chapter in this story omg
> 
> I hope you guys liked this chapter, probably not the grovelling that you hoped for from Betty but I could never imagine her begging for Ronnie's forgiveness the way Veronica would, I'm sort of angry at everyone except Veronica following 2x16 so inspiration to write anything Riverdale related is low at the moment
> 
> Anyway, please review and let me know what you guys think
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so if you don't want to read the smut just stop when Veronica asks if Jughead is ok, you won't miss anything too important, enjoy

"Veronica!" Archie yelled when he knocked on the door and she made a face as her wing now looked more like a floppy cats tail than the sharp cat claw she was aiming for.

"Yes dear," she said calmly turning her music down and digging in the cupboard to find her make-up remover so she could start this again.

"How much longer are you going to be?" he asked, his voice high and she rolled her eyes and wiped off the black line and hoping that her concealer could cover up the rest of the smudged make up.

"I would have been done by now if you didn't scare me so much I had to start again," she called, a little lie, there was no way she would have been done but he didn't know that.

"I need to pee," he whined and Veronica almost laughed at the desperation in his voice.

"We have another toilet," she told him, touching her eyelid to start over. "You don't have to use this one."

"We also have a Jughead who takes as long as you do," Archie complained.

Veronica didn't dignify that with an answer, she just turned up the music she had playing from her phone and started carving out the perfect wing... Only for the second wing to end up like the first when the door slammed open and Archie ran inside to finally go to the toilet.

"Was that necessary?" Veroinca asked frowning and going to close the door which was wide open as was their bedroom door, meaning if Jughead decided to stick his head in as he tended to do when the door was open, he would see her in just her underwear, she was not that comfortable with their housemate.

"Yes, yes it was," Archie said letting out the biggest sigh of relief and then turning to grin at her holding up one of the bobby pins he used to unlock the door. "Don't look at me like that, Betty Cooper was my best friend for years, she taught me a few tricks."

"She won't be teaching you anything when I'm done with you," Veronica mumbled going back to stand at the mirror and assess the damage, not even the sight of his naked torso was going to make up for her ruined wings.

"You need to re-do that," Archie smirked when he came to stand behind her, his arms going onto either side of her body and Veronica froze, watching him in the mirror as he leaned forward pressing himself completely against her and her eyes slipped shut at the contact and his hot breath on her neck, one of his hands skimmed her stomach as his body rolled slightly like he was going to start something that they weren't going to finish. "I'll be done in 10."

Veronica's eyes snapped open in time to see him grab his toothbrush from the holder in front of her and his satisfied smirk before he dropped his shorts and got into the shower. She grumbled the entire time she completed her make up, glaring at the shower curtain behind which Archie was belting out some song she had never heard, he knew exactly what he was doing, getting her all hot and bothered by being that close to her like that and then not doing anything about it. Once she was done she packed her things away and turned toward the shower deciding on how to return the favor.

"Eeeeeek," Archie's high pitched voice squealed when the water turned scalding hot. Veronica smiled smugly to herself, with her finger still pressing down on the toilet handle.

"2 Minutes, Archikins," she said in her sweetest voice before leaving the bathroom to pull on her dress and make her way downstairs.

Archie came stomping down the stairs 2 and a half minutes later, grumbling and grabbing his keys, going outside to start the truck. Jughead turned to Veronica with an amused look on his face, "What did you do?"

"Me?" Veronica asked innocently, pouring her coffee into a to go cup and grabbing her bag to follow Jughead out. "I never did anything."

"Uh, huh," Jughead said clearly not believing her and Veronica laughed as she shut the door.

* * *

"Hey," Archie said, leaning against the door frame later that night when they were back home and looking over at Veronica who was sitting up in their bed, reading a book. Archie smiled when she looked over, he loved how she looked with her glasses on but she only needed to wear them when she was reading for more than a few minutes.

Veronica looked up and tilted her head slowly, making a show of pulling her glasses down and checking him out from head to toe.

"Like what you see?" Archie asked, smiling wide enough that his eyes crinkled up.

"I'd like it better if there was less covering you," Veronica said with a one-shouldered shrug, taking her glasses of and putting her book down as Archie walked toward her, chuckling. Since they started living together they had been teasing each other alot and after the little stunt he pulled that morning where they were the least clothed they had been since Vegas, he knew she'd be kicking up her teasing a notch.

"As long as you follow the same dress code," he told her cupping her cheek and kissing her before pulling back and Veronica frowned with her eyes still shut. "Don't pout."

"Why'd you stop?" she asked, opening one eye slowly and then the other when he looked serious. "What's wrong? Are you still mad at me because of this morning?"

"Nothing's wrong and no, my burns will heal," he said dramatically, picking up her legs and sitting down close enough to her that her thighs were draped over his lap and Veronica laughed and ran her fingers through his hair. "I need to talk to you first."

"Sound's serious," Veronica said knitting her eyebrows together at his tone.

"I got a call from my mother-in-law earlier today," Archie said carefully and Veronica dropped her hand from his head and waited for him to tell her why her mother called him. "She said you aren't taking any of her calls, she just wants to know that you're surviving."

"I'm sure you told her that I'm perfectly fine," Veronica said, pushing herself of his lap and standing up, turning back to him when he grabbed her hand. "They should have thought about how I was going to survive before they kicked me out."

"Ronnie," Archie said softly, standing with her. "It wouldn't hurt to talk to them, it's been more than a month since they confronted us."

"No, I don't want to talk to them, I don't care what they have to say," Veronica said turning her face when Archie reached out to touch her face. "Tell my mother that the next time you talk to her."

"Ok," Archie said picking his hands up in surrender and stepping back, Veronica sighed and pushed her fingers through her hair. "I know you think they abandoned you, but I also know that they miss you and that you miss them."

"I'm not ready to deal with them yet, I think they've done enough damage to their relationship with me, I don't want them to affect anything in our relationship with each other," she said her arms hugging herself as she looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Nothing is going to affect our relationship," Archie promised as she walked toward the window, letting her shoulders drop.

"Archie," Veronica said, shaking her head and turning back toward him. "Jughead asked a question we couldn't answer and we crumbled, anything they do to our relationship would be worse."

"It's only been a day, we didn't crumble," Archie said narrowing his eyes at her and she raised an eyebrow.

"I know how much you've been thinking about it before and his questions last night just made you think about it even more," Veronica said with a sigh, her hands coming up to rub her arms. "But you aren't saying anything, it's like you're just waiting for me to tell you what is going to happen."

"Isn't that what's going to happen when the time comes?" Archie asked exasperated, dragging a hand down his face. "You refuse to talk to me about anything regarding our future, it affects both of us Veronica."

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, I don't want to do that," Veronica said sighing deeply. "Before it was set out but now there's more to it than just getting divorced before anyone finds out and I … I feel like we have time before we make that decision."

"I already know what my 'decision' is but it's not like you'll do what I want," Archie said rolling his eyes. "Just like every other decision about our relationship since we first met."

"That's unfair Archie," Veronica said pointedly. "You haven't even told me what you wanted."

"I thought that would be obvious by now Veronica," he almost yelled throwing his arms out.

"Clearly it isn't, Archibald," she shot back shaking her head, this was not how this night was supposed to go. "What do you want, tell me, because I can't read your mind."

"I want to stay with you, married to you, I don't want to get divorced when we turn 18, I don't want our lives to separate us when we leave high school, I don't care that we're young, I don't care what anyone thinks about the decisions we made, I don't want anyone thinking that Las Vegas was a mistake, I don't want you feeling like it was, I want you to want us to last forever," Archie said breathlessly. "I just want you, Veronica, for the rest of my life I want you."

Veronica had been tearing up since he started speaking and by the end of it, the tears were falling down her face too fast for her to wipe them away. Archie just stood there, he was irritated enough that he didn't immediately try to sooth her but that irritation was quickly fading at the distress on her face.

"Ok," she said nodding after she managed to compose herself enough, she had been agonizing over how they were going to handle their peculiar situation since Josie first started asking her why they didn't just stay married but she never knew if this was something she was allowed to want. She was always conflicted over the what if's, the idea that not being married would offer them some sort of control over their relationship, if they decided one day that it wasn't working, if he really loved her or if he was mistaking this for teenage infatuation. She never realized that she just needed Archie to stand in front of her and assure her that he was willing to fight for her and their marriage, that they weren't normal teenagers, that they were lucky enough to have found their soulmates in each other.

"Ok?" Archie asked confused at how easily she agreed, he was getting ready to fight her and make her see his point of view.

"You can't change your mind," Veronica said walking over to her dresser so she could grab tissue and sort out her tears.

"I won't," he said stepping up behind her and reaching for her when he got close enough, his arms wrapping around her waist and his forehead dropping to the top of her head and she smiled and the image of them in the mirror, together.

"Archikins," Veronica said fondly, turning in his arms so she's facing him, her hands dropping to his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said using his thumbs to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks and she blushed, she never meant to be this emotional, the conversation had just caught her by surprise.

"Is Jughead ok? Usually he would be knocking on our door telling us that we're out of something that he'd been craving the whole day," Veronica chuckled moving on to a lighter topic, almost every night like clockwork he would be at their door, barging in if the door was opened or knocking first before barging in if it were shut.

"He's perfectly fine, he's staying over at FP's tonight and possibly going to see his mom and sister in the morning but he'll keep us updated," he said laughing when Veronica's eyebrow shot up. "I was going to tell you but your mom called so I got distracted."

"So we have the house to ourselves?" she asked her fingers curling around the fabric of his shirt to pull him even closer and he smirked at her suggestive tone and nodded. "What do you suggest we do, all alone, finally?"

Archie didn't say anything, he just crushed his lips to hers, bending down slightly to catch her when she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked them to the bed and lowered them both down, his lips not leaving hers.

Veronica had the button on Archie's jeans opened and his shirt pushed up before he registered what was happening, he almost laughed at her impatience when he sat up slightly to pull his shirt up over his head and watched her do the same with her dress. Her eyes running down his body appreciatively and her fingers following the path her eyes did, Archie's eyes fell shut as she wrapped her hand around him.

"I definitely like the view better with less covering it," she whispered into his ear when her eyes finally reached his face again and Archie groaned as her hand moved against him, pulling her face back to his so he could kiss her.

Veronica gasped when Archie's hand moved up to gently cup her breast and his hips ground against hers. Archie trailed kisses down to her neck, nipping lightly on the skin at the base of her neck, his hands going around her body to expertly undo her bra, giving him proper access to her.

Archie stood up after a moment and Veronica frowned pushing herself up to her elbows to tell him to get back but he took off his boxers and had his hands on her hips before she could utter a word, hooking his fingers under her lacy underwear and pulling them down her legs slow enough that Veronica growled at him to hurry up.

"Archie," Veronica gasped, her head falling back to the bed and her body arching up when Archie pushed a finger into her and then a second, his thumb finding her clit as he pressed open mouthed kisses back up her body to capture her lips with his.

Veronica bit down on to his shoulder, clenching around his fingers and moaning as she reached her climax. Archie kept pumping his fingers into her as her body trembled, coming down from her high. Veronica pushed at Archie's hands and flipped them over so that he was now lying on his back, his hands gripping her waist and she was above him, straddling him.

"Ready?" he whispered and Veronica nodded reaching down to guide him into her, Archie watched as Veronica slowly sank herself down, moaning at the feeling of her around him. "Shit."

"Oh my God," Veronica rasped out, scratching her nails down his chest. Archie brought his hands up for Veronica to clutch, using them as leverage to push herself up and back down again. Their bodies moved in sync, remembering the rhythm they had perfected months before.

Veronica cried out when one of Archie's hands moved down between them to rub her clit, pushing her over the edge again. Archie thrust into her a couple more times, calling out her name as he came undone as well, pulling her to collapse on top of him, limp with pleasure.

"I've missed you," Veronica told him, breathing heavily as she rolled herself off him to tuck herself against his side and Archie smiled leaning down to capture her lips and then press kisses to the rest of her face, making her blush. "I missed this."

"Me too," Archie told her, lazily running his fingers up and down the skin on the side of her body from her breast to her hips and Veronica shivered at the feeling. "Let's never go this long without sex again."

"Tomorrow we're getting a lock for that door," Veronica said and Archie laughed pulling her closer so she was laying half on top of him, her hands gripping him as if she was never letting him out of her grasp again.

"I love you," he said softly, feeling her breathing even out as she fell asleep. He watched her, taking in every curve of her face until his eyelids got too heavy to keep open and he too fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : Hey guys so you asked and I delivered I hope lol writing smut is not my strong point, I have tried multiple times before and just hated everything but I'm kinda happy with the way this turned out and I hope you guys liked it too, this chapter was definitely the most challenging for me to write, both the Varchie fight and the smut
> 
> Did you guys watch 2x17? I don't even care what else happened in that episode, I will never get over Cami in that cat suit, I wish Archie saw her in that lol also Toni Topaz has been my new favorite character for the last couple of episodes but this episode just made me love her more than anyone else aside from Veronica (I love that friendship too)
> 
> Thank you guys so much for the reviews on the previous chapter, and Vanessa99122 i hope you enjoyed that first scene inspired by your review
> 
> Please review and let me know what you think and if I should ever attempt smut again *Hides face in hands*
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


	15. Chapter 15

Veronica walked into the kitchen the next morning with a giddy smile on her face, she had woken Archie up half way through the night or he had woken her up she couldn't remember, just to whisper silly things to each other that probably didn't make that much sense to their sleep induced brains. But that then led to kissing and touching and her pulling Archie on top of her because she needed him again, this time was slower, there wasn't that urgency anymore, they just enjoyed being that close to each other again.

The boy in question was fast asleep, Veronica watched him for a while after she woke up, just thinking about how much he had changed her view on life. She pressed a kiss to his back and left him to sleep when the only movement that he made was to smile.

She pulled her robe tighter around her body to ward off the cold as she opened the cupboard and pulled out things to attempt to make breakfast.

"I really hope you aren't going to try to cook," a voice said breaking through her morning musings and Veronica jumped and gripped the mug she had just pulled out of the cupboard, turning to glare at the person who disturbed her.

"Jug, could you make some noise before you give me a heart attack," Veronica scolded pulling out a second mug and pouring them both coffee. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," he said rolling his eyes and adding sugar to his coffee. "Unless that's changed."

"Of course not," Veronica assured him, he said it as a joke but there was this look that he gave her that made her think he was seriously asking if he were being kicked out. "Archie said you were at your dad's."

"I was," Jughead said picking at the edge of his jacket sleeve. "He went out with his biker buddies and only came back about an hour ago, so he's sleeping the day away and I have nowhere else to go."

"You do, this is your place to go," Veronica told him reaching out to place a hand over his assuring him that this was a place that he could feel safe. Her situation was different than his but both of them felt like they didn't have a place they belonged and they were trying to make the little house they lived in home. "Now, can you help me before I burn the house down?"

"Oh that's why you want to keep me around," Jughead laughed and this time Veronica saw that it was all a joke so she rolled her eyes at him. "Sit down Princess of the Dark, I got this."

"Princess of the dark?" Veronica asked tapping her chin and thinking about it. "I like it."

"I thought you would," Jugehad said cracking open an egg and pushing the onions toward Veronica to start chopping. Veronica made a face, off all the things she hated this was one of them. "So what did you do to my best friend that has him sleeping this late," he asked cheekily, Archie was usually a late sleeper but this was late even for him. Jughead looked up just in time for Veronica to turn red. "Oh God, I don't want to know."

"If your plan last night was to give us alone time to work through the questions you asked and get rid of our sexual frustrations," she started knowingly and Jughead gave her a playful shiver at the thought. "Then it was a blinding success."

"I don't need to know details but when you turn 18…" Jughead asked, not finishing the question for lack of an ending to how to ask it.

"We're going to stay together, stay married," she said with a small smile on her lips. "There is a list of things that we still need to discuss and this is not the life I had ever envisioned for myself but I find myself wanting to fight for it, for him."

"Archie's been a lot happier since you blew into town," Jughead said and Veronica chuckled at his wording. "After his mom left and all that shit went down with Grundy, Betty and I were the only one's who really knew or cared how sad he was and then you came along and you made him laugh in a way that no-one else had in a long time, when his parents announced they were officially getting divorced I thought he would lose himself again but he didn't, he was so Archie that I thought the Andrews were playing the biggest prank on us, only now does it make sense that the two of you were together at that point that even his parents divorce couldn't dampen his mood because he had you, so if you ever doubt your relationship, remember that."

"I don't think I could ever forget," Veronica said, her voice shaky and her eyes filled with tears. "That is totally the onions."

"Oh sure- ooof," Jughead said grunting when Veronica surprised him by throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Remind me to never go that sappy around you again," he complained but smiled when he patted her back awkwardly.

"Step away from my wife," Archie's sleepy and amused voice said breaking them apart.

"Where's the fun in that," Jughead joked and Archie narrowed his eyes, Veronica patted Jughead's cheek and padded over to Archie to wrap her arms around his middle and bury her face into his chest and breath him in.

"What's wrong?" Archie asked softly, rubbing her back soothingly when Jughead turned his attention to the stove to give them a moment. "What'd he do?"

"Nothing at all," Veronica said shaking her head and tilting her head up with greet him properly, smiling and bumping their noses together when they broke apart. "Hi."

"Hi," Archie whispered back, smiling as he stole one more kiss from her and pulled her onto his lap when he sat down. "So Jug, what's our plans for today?"

"I was thinking about going for a drive to Pop's first, I've been craving a milkshake and you guys have none of the ingredients for me to make it stocked up here," Jughead started and Archie laughed and nodded along to Jughead's plans for them for the day.

* * *

Veronica convinced Archie to go with Jughead and have a boys day and give her a few hours to herself, Archie was as reluctant to leave her side as she was to let him go but Jughead was quiet enough at breakfast to make even Veronica worry about how lonely he was and besides all that Veronica was on a mission.

She made her way to Pop's and bobbed her leg as she waited, she wished Riverdale was big enough that she could make herself invisible but there was no where else to go.

"Mija," Hermione Lodge breathed when she appeared at Veronica's table.

"Hi mom," Veronica smiled standing to hug her mother, letting herself sink into Hermione's arms for a moment. "What is he doing here?"

"He is your father and he wanted to see you," Hermione said watching her daughter crossed her arms over her chest and hardened herself up as she watched her father walk toward her.

"Hello Veronica," Hiram greeted, unsure of whether or not to reach out for his daughter but ultimately deciding not to test the waters just yet and motion for them to be seated. "How have you been?"

"Good," Veronica said, her arms still crossed over her chest watching her parents across the table. "Why are you here?"

"We haven't seen you in weeks, we just wanted to know that you're ok, if you need anything," Hermione said and Veronica bit the inside of her lip. "You haven't been answering my calls or texts, I was so happy when you called this morning."

"You could have come to the house you so lovingly handed over to me," Veronica said and Hermione winced at her tone but Hiram's face hardened at the sarcasm in his daughters voice.

"You were irresponsible, as parents it is our duty to make you learn from your mistakes," Hiram snapped. "I will not be made to feel bad about teaching you that your actions have consequences."

"About those actions," Hermione interrupted whatever Veronica was about to say and turning the attentions of her daughter and husband to her. "We feel like you have learnt your lesson, we have spoken to Fred and Mary and decided that you and Archie should move back home, we'll make the marriage disappear and we will forget this whole thing happened."

"Yes we will," Hiram agreed, nodding stiffly at Veronica when Hermione elbowed his side.

"While I'm glad that you have realized that, Archie and I have decided that we want to remain married," Veronica said staring down her shocked parents. "Even after I turn 18, we're not going to go through with the divorce."

"What about college and life out of Riverdale? I know you Veronica, you will not make it in this small town," Hiram warned narrowing his eyes. "And I don't think Archie Andrews has what it takes to go the places you will go."

"You're too young Ronnie," Hermione added. "Both of you are, marriage is not easy."

"We know mom but we have also decided that we're going to try, together and if it doesn't work out…" Veronica said wincing at the thought, she knew her parent's concerns, she had them herself before. "But you're underestimating Archie, Daddy, he's so much more than you realize, also you were only three years older than I am when you decided to get married and the Andrews were younger."

"They are divorced," Hiram pointed out and Veronica narrowed her eyes.

"They had a good life for almost 20 years," Veronica gritted out. "That's more than any of the New Yorker's you're thinking about can offer me."

"You still think this boy can offer you a good life," Hiram said shaking his head and then cowering slightly when he caught the unimpressed look on his wife's face.

"He already has," Veronica calmly said, standing up. "Archie is my husband and he's going to stay my husband until we decide it's no longer working out."

"Veronica," Hermione started, trying to reason with her daughter but Veronica was shaking her head and stepping out of the booth and into the isle.

"Getting divorced and remarried in the future or just staying married now isn't going to change the outcome of our lives together," she said her voice low because she didn't want anyone close enough to hear her. "It was nice to see you both, I trust you have enough to talk about when I leave."

Veronica clenched her jaw as she strode out of Pop's, slowing down her steps slightly when she saw Archie jumping out of his truck he took two steps toward the building when he noticed her and paused, a wide smile forming on his face.

"Archie," Veronica murmured falling into his arms when he opened them for her and held him close. "You were supposed to be having a boys day with Jughead."

"Jug's inside already, I don't know how you missed him," Archie said tucking her head securely under his chin. "I was trying to call you but your phone's off, we decided to justcome here for lunch."

"I hate that Pop's is the only place in this town," Veronica said and Archie smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Archikins?"

"Yeah," he whispered looking down at her as she tilted her questioning eyes up to him.

"We're going to make it right?" she asked softly, almost shyly and he furrowed his eyebrows wondering why she was asking this question especially after the night before when he caught sight of her parents walking out of Pop's.

"Your parents," he started, feeling her body tense in his arms and dropped his eyes back down to hers and dropped the subject he was close to bringing up. "We're going to make it Ronnie."

Veronica smiled at him as he dropped his lips to hers. "Let's get out of here."

"Archie," Hermione Lodge greeted and both teenagers jumped, neither of them noticed the Lodge's approaching them.

"Mr and Mrs Lodge," Archie greeted clearing his throat, Veronica reluctantly released her hold on his waist and turned to face her parents, taking one of Archie's arms in her hands instead and holding it tightly.

There was an awkward silence as the four of them stood watching each other and waiting for someone to speak.

"Well then," Hiram started, clearing his throat, there was only so much awkward silence he could take. "Since the two of you are serious about this, we should have a family dinner and we can get to know each other properly if you're going to be my son-in-law."

"Of course we'll have Fred and Mary over as well," Hermione said with a small smile. "After our last confrontation I think this would be nice."

Archie and Veronica shared a look and he shrugged, it was up to her. "We would like that," Veronica said, turning back to her parents.

"We'll leave you now, I'll call you later ok?" Hermione asked reaching out to cup her daughters cheek and Veronica smiled at her mother and nodded before waving goodbye.

"Now we're having a family dinner?" Archie asked as he watched her parents walk toward the car waiting for them. "What exactly did you say to them?"

"Just that we're together and they should get used to it," Veronica said bumping her nose with his. "Let's go home."

"We could, but I'm hungry and Jug is probably waiting," he said walking her back into the diner. "It has been a very interesting 24 hours."

"I have a feeling that we would never have to worry about being bored," Veronica laughed as Archie led her to a booth where their friends were waiting for them.

"How did I not notice the entire gang," Veronica asked looking at Jughead, Betty, Josie, Reggie and Kevin all sitting in the booth.

"Probably because as soon as we saw your parents we made ourselves as invisible as possible," Jughead said sheepishly and Veronica looked at Archie who shrugged, he didn't come in with the rest of them. "And then you stormed out."

"Is everything ok?" Josie asked holding her arms out to hug Veronica who sat down next to her.

"It is now," Veronica smiled leaning back into Archie when he sat next to her, his hand going around her waist to rest on her hip. "Doesn't anyone have any other plans besides Pop's on a Sunday afternoon?"

"I'm just avoiding chores, I told my mother I had to meet up with Josie for group project," Reggie laughed and Veronica rolled her eyes but listened to the banter of her friends as they discussed everything they were avoiding by being at Pop's.

She checked out of the actual conversation, nodding and making noises where she was meant to, mostly she just watched her friends. She thought about how different everything was just a few months ago and how it had changed because of one mistake marriage in Las Vegas, how much better it was after the fights and the tears and all of her fears.

She smiled every time she felt the rumble of Archie's chest when he spoke or laughed and blushing when he periodically pressed little kisses to her head and ran his fingers to her stomach to find her hand and link their fingers. She adored this boy and she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. How lucky was she that she found her way to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The end.
> 
> I am so happy with this story, I couldn't think of a way to end it but that last line just felt like it fit in with everything but then it is 1am where I live and I could just be hallucinating that this is a good ending lol I wish I could continue in this story and in this world but I feel like it has come to it's natural end and if I keep going it will just be frustrating for the both of us so I should move on to other Varchie projects
> 
> Thank you guys for the reviews on the previous chapter and all the chapters before, the response I have gotten for this has been incredible, I adore this couple and I want to write more for them so I hope that you guys read anything else I eventually put out there for them
> 
> Please leave me a review and let me know what you think, thank you for the support
> 
> Until Next Time (^^,)


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